May Day Under Chains
However economist Gaye Yılmaz and Prof. Dr. Fuat Ercan point to the common point of agreement between the conflicting parties: keeping labor under control.
Yılmaz: There can be no democracy without labor rights
Although there is a discussion of democracy, Yılmaz states that the society has forgotten questioning what democracy really is. She states that there can be no concept of democracy without labor rights; however, neither the government nor the military has an agenda concerning the working class.
According to Yılmaz, the unions active during the coup of 1980 are still in charge and no changes have been introduced to the relevant legislation by the governments since then in order to reflect the relating international standards.
According to Fuat Ercan, the principle economical characteristic of the 1980 coup, during which about one million people were taken under custody and tortured, was to keep labor under control and enable international cooperation in order to produce more value.
Ercan: Life styles conflict in this new capital accumulation process
Ercan stated that Türkey is going through a wide capitalization process and indicated that labor has an important role within this context. Accordingly, different groups do not have conflicts in controlling the labor movements.
Pursuant to Ercan, the conflict cannot be reduced down to that between labor and capital. He states that the life styles of the two groups that have become capitalized in the earlier stages and the one that is capitalized later and represented by Justice and Development Party (AKP) are also conflicting. Accordingly every capital accumulation system produces a unique daily life. The principle relation is established through such daily life and its language.
According to Ercan, this capitalization process pushes the groups that have become capitalized in earlier stages who also have close relations with the state, the military that has an active role in the capitalization process and the method of making politics.
There are problems for individuals as well. Accordingly, the effects of capitalism on daily life create a fear of losing their identities in people.
AKP is faster in restricting labor than the others
Ercan states that AKP carries out its activities towards restricting labor much faster that the other structures. Accordingly he states that AKP not only tries to control labor itself, but also the quality of labor power as well. Examples of this approach can be seen in professional training programs, Council of Higher Education policies.
Hints of compromise
Ercan states that there are hints of compromise between the groups of those that have become capitalized in earlier stages and those that became capitalized later.
The class related concerns of (Turkish Businessmen Association) TÜSİAD and AKP are very similar. The support given to AKP following the 28 February warning by the military also points to this similarity.
According to Ercan, the Republican People's Party, the Motherland Party and the Just Way Party do not bear any differences either. He also indicates that these parties do not have any analysis on the objective class reality either.(TK/FHÜ/EÜ)