Main Panel: Imperialist war. Peoples’ resistance and solidarity in the Balkans and the Middle East.
Speaker: ILPS – Turkish Section

When we say imperialist war then we need to put it into two categories: one is what is called imperialist war means that it contains a war between them. As a concrete example we can give the 1st and the 2nd imperialist partial world war.
Another form of war is the occupation war that is realized in the frame of imperialist aggression towards the oppressed labour masses and what this form of war is heading for is countries that depend on imperialism.
Considering the period in which we are today does not consist of imperialist war; there are different contradictions-clashes amongst the imperialists in order to control the world market and this is shown to us in different forms. But right now we are not facing a situation in which the imperialists use military intervention, or weapons against each other. If there must be absolutely a definition of imperialist war, then it will be occupation-wars related to imperialist aggression.
US imperialism, that is one of the forefronts of imperialist aggression, is mainly leading the above mentioned occupation-wars. In concern of how the masses deal with this aggression: we witness the great resistance of the Iraqi people against the occupation, the resistance of the people in Afghanistan and the glorious resistance given by the Palestinian people against Israel Zionism. That means that the people answer to these occupations, aggression and invasions through resistance.
Besides this, people that are under the domination of imperialism though their puppet-collaborator regimes have a long history of national and social liberation struggle; and for this they continue to be the nightmare of the imperialists.
Especially US imperialism tries to suppress these struggles by even inserting the army. Still even through all those obstructions actually meaning by them trying to choke the peoples’ struggles, they did not succeed. For example in the Philippines the growing social liberation struggle, led under the principals of Peoples War, has succeeded in terms of creating an alternative position to the present power. For this reason, the Arroyo regime which is directed by US imperialism has also under the directive of US imperialism declared the martial law last month. They found the last way in this martial law to arrest, imprison and kill the leaders of this struggle. But still all off this has not stopped or blocked the march to freedom of the Filipino people.
In concern of Nepal, under the leadership of the NCP (M) that is waging Peoples War and which has been directing the National Democratic Front since 1996 keeps marching on with serious steps. The Peoples War that has been going on since 11 years has created almost 80% of power in the country and is building the Nepal Democratic Republic and continues to become stronger. The feudal monarchy of Nepal that has been squeezed into the state capital of the country has increased its exploitation against the masses. Against this the forces that are against the monarchy have formed an alliance with the Nepalese Maoists and under their leadership the people in Nepal are preparing to sew the flag in Kathmandu of an independent and democratic republic. It is necessary that all anti-imperialists, revolutionary and democratic forces support the revolution in Nepal; they are in danger because of the threat of US imperialism and India expansionism. Merely the heroic Nepal people will drive away the imperialist invaders.
India also belongs to the chain of countries that wage Peoples War. In the last year Peoples War has moved forward fast and obtained a position in where it created such a danger that the US and its common collaborator Indian expansionism started broad operations.
Another country that has a history of struggle for social liberation is Colombia. Since 1964 the popular movement in Colombia has achieved a militant tradition against imperialism and its regional collaborators. In the last month only 15 FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionario del Columbia) leaders have been killed.
The imperialists are in preparation for a psychological war against Iran want to drown Iran and its people in blood. Merely history has and is proving that the imperialists do not step back if it comes down to their existence and the danger of their belongings. This will never change the reality that they are "paper tigers". We can see this today by every loss of their blood, when they have to step back and when they are in death agony.
As a result of all of this we can come to the understanding that it is the only reality that the masses to be able to gain liberation must apply various forms of struggle in order to achieve victory. This means that we can not just reach this by keeping hope alive, but also the task to carry the struggle further and also its responsibilities leans on our shoulder. Today anti-imperialist forces and their formed organisations should take a stand against this imperialist aggression, because anti-imperialist struggle has a function of being a forefront of the real liberation of the oppressed peoples’ social liberation and this function will grow. And to be able to make anti-imperialist struggle all over the world grow is to unite these kinds of struggles of the popular masses. The event that is held in Athens against imperialism and capitalism and to unite and increase the struggle of the people against imperialism is of great importance.
We must acknowledge this importance and increase events/resistance camps like this. We should utilize the lessons and experiences we can learn and share amongst each other on these events, we can do this in our own respected countries or internationally. On this issue, ILPS has got a determining role. Since 2001 it has played this role successfully. Let’s not forget, the organized and resisting people cannot be defeated. It is very clear sooner or later imperialism will be defeated the resisting popular masses will win!