Public Discussion on Anarchist Communism in Turkey

greece / turkey / cyprus | anarchist movement | news report Wednesday April 19, 2006 15:24 by Ender Yilmaz - AKI

On the 15th of April Black Red Notes magazine (BRN) organized in Baska Kultur Evi a discussion on “Anarchist Communism and Class Struggle”. About 50 people attended the panel discussion and some had to sit on the floor due to the lack of seats. A representative from BRN and then writer Volkan Yarasir gave a speech.

Volkan Yarasir

The BRN representative analyzed why Leninism was inadequate in the struggle for a communist society and summarized the anarchist communist alternative. His criticism targeted four main points: the lack of a theory of hierarchy and representation in Marxism-Leninism, positivist epistemology, teleological and economic determinist understanding of history and democratic centralism as an organizational practice.

Volkan Yarasir touched on the similarities between successful labor movements of today and revolutionary experiences at the first half of the 20th century which created a libertarian alternative to capitalism. He emphasized the importance of learning from the working class and summarized the three important features of successful movements: direct action, direct democracy and independence of the movement.