Anarchism in Turkey
Encyclopedia
Anarchism
came to the political scene in Turkey
only after the publication of Kara, a monthly magazine. It was the starting point of anarchist movement in Turkey in 1986. Before the publication of this magazine, there was no visible anarchist movement in the country.
Marxism
was an influential ideology in Turkey's revolutionary movements. In the 1980s, Marxism disintegrated in Turkey due to the military coup headed by Kenan Evren
. Nearly all Marxist movements were crushed by the military government. In this situation, many Marxist militants were faced with a dilemma - the tension between the ultimate aim of Marxism which i.e. stateless
and classless society
, and the real-politic of Marxism (in achieving the ultimate goal, Marxism argues that productive forces should be developed and the state should preserved). This dilemma led many Marxists to reject the statist
politics in Marxism and sought ways to reach the classless society without administering a state during a transition. Due to this many of them embraced anarchism. On the other hand, during the military rule, the left wing intelligentsia in questioned Marxist collectivism and the Leninist understanding of organisation. They inquired into the contradiction between society and the individual. Their inquiries led many of them to individualism
. From there some of them started to defend the "responsible individual" and reached anarchism.
On the other hand, there is some individuals of an organized anarchist group called DAF (Devrimci Anarşist Faaliyet)(in english: Revolutionary Anarchist Action) that has been active in Anatolia and Mesopotamia for five years. We take “revolution”, “organising”, “collective living”, and “collective producing” as initials for their group.
As LAF (Lise Anarşist Faaliyet) (in english: Highschool Anarchist Action) they are in a struggle to separate the organized anarchism at high schools by 3 years.
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
came to the political scene in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
only after the publication of Kara, a monthly magazine. It was the starting point of anarchist movement in Turkey in 1986. Before the publication of this magazine, there was no visible anarchist movement in the country.
Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
was an influential ideology in Turkey's revolutionary movements. In the 1980s, Marxism disintegrated in Turkey due to the military coup headed by Kenan Evren
Kenan Evren
Ahmet Kenan Evren was the seventh President of Turkey; a post he assumed by leading the 1980 military coup. He was also the last president to be born in the Ottoman Empire.- Biography :...
. Nearly all Marxist movements were crushed by the military government. In this situation, many Marxist militants were faced with a dilemma - the tension between the ultimate aim of Marxism which i.e. stateless
Stateless nation
A stateless nation is a group, usually a minority ethnic group, considered as a nation entitled to its own state for that nation. Since there are few objective criteria for whether a particular group is a nation, or which particular group "has" any given multinational state, usage of the term is...
and classless society
Classless society
Classless society refers to a society in which no one is born into a social class. Such distinctions of wealth, income, education, culture, or social network might arise and would only be determined by individual experience and achievement in such a society.Since these distinctions are difficult to...
, and the real-politic of Marxism (in achieving the ultimate goal, Marxism argues that productive forces should be developed and the state should preserved). This dilemma led many Marxists to reject the statist
Socialist state
A socialist state generally refers to any state constitutionally dedicated to the construction of a socialist society. It is closely related to the political strategy of "state socialism", a set of ideologies and policies that believe a socialist economy can be established through government...
politics in Marxism and sought ways to reach the classless society without administering a state during a transition. Due to this many of them embraced anarchism. On the other hand, during the military rule, the left wing intelligentsia in questioned Marxist collectivism and the Leninist understanding of organisation. They inquired into the contradiction between society and the individual. Their inquiries led many of them to individualism
Individualism
Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, or social outlook that stresses "the moral worth of the individual". Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and so value independence and self-reliance while opposing most external interference upon one's own...
. From there some of them started to defend the "responsible individual" and reached anarchism.
On the other hand, there is some individuals of an organized anarchist group called DAF (Devrimci Anarşist Faaliyet)(in english: Revolutionary Anarchist Action) that has been active in Anatolia and Mesopotamia for five years. We take “revolution”, “organising”, “collective living”, and “collective producing” as initials for their group.
As LAF (Lise Anarşist Faaliyet) (in english: Highschool Anarchist Action) they are in a struggle to separate the organized anarchism at high schools by 3 years.