We, as a group of communists from Turkey established a political organisation whose basic principles are defined in the attachment.

We plan to produce texts on the history of working class and marxist theory. In this effort, we hope your help by criticisms to receive and any other way you see proper.

Basic Principles

We, as a group of communists living in Marmara industrial zone, came together since we have realized the necessity of intervening to the working class struggle in an organized and international way. In this regard, we think that the first thing that the communists should do, is to become clear on the historical experiences of the working class and the lessons to be drawn on them. The deepening crisis of capitalism on the one hand, and the rising combativity of the working class on the other, is making these organized and international interventions of the communists both necessary and possible. Because of that we have come together to realize the aims listed below:

1. Contrary to whatever the bourgeoisie left claims, the solidarity of communists is always international. This solidarity is built on the reality of class and not on the illusion of nation. All calls for unity and solidarity should be international from the beginning. Hence, our perspective is to contribute to the international unity of the communists, by taking active part in this effort and to join in the discussions that will move forward in this direction.
2. For us, another primary role of communists is to be inside the working class struggles, to develop solidarity with the workers in struggles and to join in the combat with them. We do not separate ourselves from the workers in this struggle and we do not look down upon them. However, we think that, there are two main differences between communists and the workers. These are –just as Marx put them before the 1848 revolutions- ;

“ In the national struggles of the proletarians of the different countries, they point out and bring to the front the common interests of the entire proletariat, independently of all nationality” and “in the various stages of development which the struggle of the working class against the bourgeoisie has to pass through, they always and everywhere represent the interests of the movement as a whole”.

1. In order to achieve these two aims as communists, we believe that it is necessary to draw the lessons of the contemporary and historical struggles and organizational experiences of the working class. This requires a wide and international debate. For us, the principles that will set the framework of this debate are:

I.

The only revolutionary class in the world is the working class.

Working class, since its material interests force it, has to abolish all the states and wage work in order achieves its victory.

II.

A socialist or communist state is impossible.

All the “socialist” states that hitherto existed are nothing but the weaker forms of capitalism. From Cuba to Russia, from Vietnam to China, all of these states can be defined in that way. The first task of the working class is always to destroy the whole state machine which is an extension of class violence.

III.

There is nothing that the working class can gain with new national borders.

Imperialism is nothing other than the expression of the worldwide crisis of capitalism and it is driving humanity to ultimate destruction through national wars. National liberation struggles, people’s fronts etc., which call the working class to join these wars in the name of the nation, are wholly reactionary and counter-revolutionary.

IV.

All the parliaments are freak circuses.

Working class has nothing to gain through the elections. All the power in the existing system is under the control of the commodities, money and capital; in short under the control of the alienated form of human labor. In that sense, all the formal solutions about the organization of the society or democracy misses the real problem. As a result, all the political “remedies” that addresses the parliament and democracy for emancipation, fools the working class and dooms it to defeat.

V.

Unions are the police of the state in the factories.

The main role of the unions which take part in the organization of the economy and the continuity of the “social peace” is to discipline and control the workers. The abolition of the unions which confront the workers in each struggle is one of the main tasks of the working class struggle.

VI.

Working class is alone in its struggle.

The lack of confidence towards the working class is expressed by the leftists in “frontism” and various class collaboration theories. Working class has nothing to gain from these inter-class alliances. Contrary to that these alliances will lead the workers to be pawns in the inter-dominant class struggles.

VII.

World Communist Revolution or Capitalist Barbarism!

The contemporary crisis that is facing humanity is a radical one. From the ethnic massacres to the ecological destructions, from the total bankruptcy of the social reproduction to the bottom up degeneration of the political superstructure, capitalist society is in full decomposition. On the basis of this crisis of capitalism lies a contradiction which can even be observed in its primary unit, the commodity; between the use value and the exchange value. Creative human activity has become so productive that it can no longer be contained inside the value relations. This in turn is the cause of the relentless destruction of living labor, the proletariat by the economic crises, wars and social degeneration that we are living through.

This radical situation necessitates a radical solution. This is none other than a world communist revolution. This world communist revolution can only be achieved through the worldwide power of workers’ councils.

Internationalist Communist Workers Group