December, 1971

It doesn't really snow in Turkey too often, much less in Istanbul, but today was a special day. The snow fell from the skies in decadent slushes, covering the dust of the ground in a pristine mattress and making the world seem as if it were just a little bit okay.

Ali sat at a window, looking outside across the city, across the white rooftops and the grey sky, and the white flakes coming down from the sky. The radio said it was coming from all over Istanbul, the whole city.

Ali felt calm, that day. Calm for the first time in a while. He had felt ill ever since the coup had happened. Ill, and nervous. It was a scary time. But, with the snow coming down in the silence of the mid day, everything felt alright. He could breathe a sigh of relief, alone and warm--

A blast of cold air snuck across Ali's back as the door was kicked open. Snow began to stream into the apartment, as a man covered in coats and blankets and carrying a massive sheath of papers trundles into the room, tracking mud and slush with him.

"Hey, Ali, look what I-"

"IBRAHIM YOU SON OF A FUCK CLOSE THE DAMN DOOR!"

Ibrahim sighed, dropped his papers onto a chair with a thunk, and closed the door shut behind him. The surfaces nearest to him had collected a very accomplished layer of snow themselves.

"So, anyways," he said, taking off his coats and scarves, "It's done."

"What do you mean it's do- It's Done?!"

"Yeah, I told you, it's finished! It's done!"

"Took you long enough, what the hell!"

"Well I'm sorry if putting together a political party and arguing with revisionists isn't enough for you, will you still accept late work, oh professor of mine?"

"Can it you prick. Lemme see!"

Ali picked up the first page of the stack and began reading.

"According to Shafak Revisionists, national oppression is applied to the Kurdish people. This is to not understand the meaning of national oppression. National oppression is the oppression imposed by the ruling classes, oppressing and exploiting nations on the downtrodden, dependent subject nations. In Turkey national oppression is the oppression applied by the ruling classes of the dominant Turkish nation on the entire Kurdish nation, not just the Kurdish people, and also not solely on the Kurdish nation, but on all minority subject nations."

...

"Furthermore, nations emerge at the dawn of capitalism, not when it reaches the ultimate stage of its development. when capitalism enters a country, when it moves into a region to a certain degree and unites the markets in that country, in that region, to a certain extent communities that possess the other characteristics of being a nation are then deemed to have become a nation. If this were not the case, it would be necessary to consider that all the stable communities in all backward countries and regions in which capitalist development is limited are not nations.

Until the 1940's there existed a strong feudal division in China. According to this rationale it would have been necessary previously to not have accepted the Presence of nations in China.

Until the 1917 Revolution in Russia, feudalism was very powerful in the broad rural regions of Russia. According to this understanding, it would have been necessary to not accept the existence of nations in Russia.

In Turkey, for instance, during the years of the War of Liberation, feudalism was stronger than today. According to this logic it would be necessary to accept that there were absolutely no nations in Turkey during those years.

Today feudalism exists in economically backward and oppressed parts, regions, and countries of the world. in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, to varying degrees. According to this rationale it would be necessary to accept that nations do not exist in these economically backward regions and countries. It is absolutely clear that the theory which claims that the Kurds do not constitute a nation is nonsense from beginning to end, contrary to the facts, and, in practice, harmful.

It is harmful on account of the fact that such a theory is only of benefit to the ruling classes of the oppressive, exploitative, and dominant nations. They will thus find justification for the national oppression and cruelty that they inflict on oppressed, dependent, and subject nations and the privileges and inequality that they provide for themselves. In this way the struggle which the proletariat should wage for the equality of nations, and the ending of national oppression, privileges etc.; Will come to naught."

...

A nation's right to self-determination cannot be restricted or taken away on account of an allegation that it is, or may become, a tool of imperialism. On the basis of such an allegation a nation's "oppression and mistreatment" cannot be defended. Besides, during the period in question, the Turkish government was collaborating with the British and French imperialists. The fundamental watchword of the proletariat regarding the national question is the same in all circumstances: As said by the great Lenin:

** "Not a single privilege for any nation or any language! Not the slightest oppression of or unfairness to national minorities!" **

Ibrahim Kaypakkaya's seminal text, The National Question in Turkey, is a concrete study of the Kurdish question and, more broadly, an analysis of the revolutionary standpoint towards national minorities. It is published in Partizan, and plans for translations for ATIK distribution are planned.

With the publishing of this essay, the lines between the right and left lines of the TIIKP only intensify, and their contradictions become more obvious. The struggle is approaching it's head.