Turkey :Blueprint for a people's constitution

[IG-H at TRILOS.han.de]

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                                                       Hannover, 13.08.97.

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Dear comrades, 

We are pleased to announce that we translated the "Blueprint for a
people's constitution" as being discussed amongst the progressive
amsses in Turkey.

This draft is for no ordinary constitution. It was not created by the
rulers, but was instead discussed and formulated by members of the
oppressed classes.

After the Susurluk accident in November last year , the way Turkey is
ruled by the contra-guerrillas became obvious to everybody. All
confidence has been lost in the system which is going into deeper and
deeper crisis. None of the bourgeois parties and no part of the
military possess the capability of overcoming this crisis. Their
efforts to defuse the crisis by talking of 'democratisation' have been
exposed as mere window dressing.

At this point it is important to unite and broaden the struggle
against this system on all fronts. In all spheres the alternative
posed by people's power must be put forward. In this sense, the draft
for a people's constitution we are putting forward is a programme for
revolution in Turkey. It was not written as a constitution for the
system which will come about from revolution. Rather, it is a
political framework for the demands of all opposition
forces. Discussion by millions of Turks, Kurds, Laz, Cherke ss, people
of all nationalities and confessional allegiance, is to 'gather
together the broadest democratic forces around this constitutional
draft and together to raise the demand for independence, democracy and
people's power among the masses'.

The discussion of a new constitution to unite the masses against the
contra-guerrilla state begins at a time when the people in Turkey is
conscious of its own power and creativity. Starting with the slum
quarters of the major cities, more and more people's councils are
being set up, including in agricultural areas. Developing these
structures created the need for a manifesto of demands by the
oppressed peoples in Turkey. The draft we are putting forward, from
the 'Platform for Rights and Freedom', is such a manifesto.

The people itself is putting on the agenda the demand for
independence, democracy, freedom and justice, for an alternative to
the corrupt system of domination in Turkey which is full of contempt
for human beings. Of course the rulers will not voluntarily g ive in
to a single one of these demands. This is because a state with such a
constitution would not serve them but instead would further the
supremacy of the people. Consequently, our information is that the
constitutional draft has been banned. Even so, o f the first draft
alone 200,000 copies were printed and distributed. Everywhere, in all
sections of the people in Turkey, organised or unorganised, men and
women, old and young, workers, civil servants, housewives and
students, this constitutional draft is being discussed. In Turkey and
in Europe, several hundred thousand copies of a survey have been
distributed. It is not a matter of writing the most perfect
constitution possible for the period after the revolution, but rather
to give expression to the dem ands of the people, for which the
struggle is being fought, and to put these into a political
framework. The people is not making a request to the rulers or
petitioning them, but knows that it must fight step by step for the
fulfilment of these demands. Th is draft is not a document existing
solely on paper but a programme for revolution in Turkey.

The support and solidarity of international revolutionary and
progressive forces will strengthen the fight of our peoples in
Turkey. Our friends from all nations of the earth are free to express
their opinions and make suggestions about this draft constitu
tion. Constructive criticism is as welcome as approval.

We look forward to taking on board your opinions on this draft
constitution, which has arisen from the people's opposition forces.

                   DHKC Information Bueau Amsterdam 

Check it out at our www-pages.

- -- 
DHKC Informationbureau Amsterdam
http://www.ozgurluk.org/dhkc
mailto: dhkc at ozgurluk.org

Mailinglistinfo: petidomo at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl

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