“COMPULSORY MOMENT” BEFORE SOCIALIST REVOLUTION: KEMALISM AND MILITARY IN THE GRADUAL REVOLUTION STRATEGY OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION MOVEMENT Cover Image

SOSYALİST DEVRİMDEN ÖNCE “ZORUNLU UĞRAK”: MİLLİ DEMOKRATİK DEVRİM HAREKETİNİN AŞAMALI DEVRİM STRATEJİSİNDE KEMALİZM VE ORDU
“COMPULSORY MOMENT” BEFORE SOCIALIST REVOLUTION: KEMALISM AND MILITARY IN THE GRADUAL REVOLUTION STRATEGY OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION MOVEMENT

Author(s): Süleyman Çağrı Güzel
Subject(s): Political history, Government/Political systems, Military policy, Political behavior, Politics and society, Comparative politics, Post-War period (1950 - 1989)
Published by: Rasim Özgür DÖNMEZ
Keywords: National Democratic Revolution; Kemalism; Military-Civilian Intellectual Group; Marxism-Leninism; Gradual Revolution;

Summary/Abstract: The National Democratic Revolution (NDR) Movement is one of the most influential movements that affected the Turkish left both theoretically and practically among the socialist groups which increased its dynamism in the 1960s. This movement, which carries the TKP's tradition of gradual revolution to the 1960s and argues that a "democratic revolution" must be carried out before the socialist revolution in this direction, has the determinist perspective of "scientific socialism". In this context, it argues that Turkey is at a semifeudal historical stage and advocates that the Kemalist revolution should be completed. One of the most significant elements of NDR's "revolutionary strategy" is the military-civilian intellectual group. As a matter of fact, the group of the heir of Kemalism can carry out a revolution that will tear the country away from the imperialist system in Turkey, where the working class has not reached sufficient level of consciousness and the national bourgeoisie has not developed according to the supporters of NDR. This strategy, which relies more on the "tutelage" power of the army than the working class, has often been accused of being overshadowed by Kemalism and juntaism within the left. However, when the historical-social stage in which Turkey is located is analysed in the light of scientific socialism, the main Marxist attitude is that all classes except collaborative capital and feudal tyrants are united on one front in order to start the stage before socialism by fighting all the way, according to the supporters of NDR. Yet, the specific tendency here is the central role which is cut for the Kemalist tradition and the army. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the central role assigned to Kemalism and the military in terms of theory and practice in the strategy of the gradual revolution of NDR movement.

  • Issue Year: 13/2021
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 472-497
  • Page Count: 26
  • Language: Turkish
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