Factions or Organisation?

In the Turkish dictionary, one definition of a faction or group is 'a body or community formed by individuals with shared interests and views,' whereas 'organisation' is defined as 'a union formed by institutions or individuals gathered for the purpose of achieving a common goal or action.' The definition of organisation naturally sounds far more encouraging; gathering for a 'common purpose' is much finer than gathering for 'shared self-interests.' It is glaringly obvious that as the peoples of Turkey, not only have we failed to organise, but we instantly split into factions even within the spheres where we do organise. Rather than nurturing a sense of collective organisation within social institutions, we witness fractures and dissolutions. If we look at where they intend to drag the public, the borders are no longer confined to inter-city divides; the fracture has spread down to the very neighbourhoods. Exactly as the system desires: 'divide, rule, and conquer!'. Even knowing this, we prefer living isolated, solitary, or in small factions over living within organised majorities. While we speak of loving and valuing one another, and keep our goals grand—like changing the world—within a single week we end our relationships with entirely contrary feelings, multiplying our mutual distrust.

The crisis is not merely political; it is also psychological. In this era expanding through technology, it is undeniable that we have become prisoners to our smartphones. Having everything at our fingertips and being instantly informed of every event is no longer enough; we cannot bring ourselves to leave our homes, abandon our daily rush, and take to the streets. Furthermore, the oppression, arrests, and detentions have certainly engineered a republic of fear—yet with even darker days waiting at our doorstep, do we not need to ask where the remedy truly lies?

First and foremost, the greatest factor that causes factionalism and aligns with a person’s self-alienation is money. The lust for position and property acquired through economic power does not merely divide people into classes; it drives wedges between families and lifelong friends. Marx, in his writings on Alienation, states: "The individual carries his social power, as well as his bond with society, right there in his pocket." Economic power is now an absolute necessity everywhere! So much so that we have even witnessed individuals who come from left-wing traditions, who championed the oppressed for years, entangling themselves with right-wing parties—even running as candidates! Whether the reason for this is money, a political void, or simply losing one's bearings entirely, I do not know. It is difficult to name it! Indeed, even within organisations, relationships are stronger among people who are close in terms of class: worker with worker, boss with boss, student with student...

The very concept of 'the people' has practically vanished; tell me, who are the people? Are the people not all of us? Within all this fragmentation, how are we to define the people, how are we to reach them? What is the path for trade unions, associations, and institutions to act as one, to build an equal and just world in our country and in the places we live? It is a absolute certainty that we cannot defeat the enemy with this level of division! So, what must be done?..

The system is rotten and built entirely on money; even within organisations, institutions, associations, and foundations, only the spaces where money is powerful manage to survive, while the rest quietly retreat into their corners and lock their doors. What follows is endless sighing, resentments, and bitter grievances... We have reached a point on social media where we forget the enemy and spend our energy tearing into one another: "You were at that protest, but you went to the other one, and the other person wasn't even there..." On the other side stands the vast, unorganised majority of the people. How are we to reach them? The real issue lies in moving alongside them, yet we have completely forgotten the fundamental questions. Nowadays, everyone's greatest anxiety is simply earning money! It has been a long time since we even questioned why living with basic human dignity has to be this difficult. Labourers, work, production, consumption, unequal earnings, class divides, lack of education—the list stretches on endlessly. Without moving alongside the unorganised majority, transformation cannot occur; instead, we continue to sink within a wheel that grows more malicious day by day. While we stand in our separate 'factions' on social media platforms blaming one another, they have stripped the country bare. In this era where we have become alienated from ourselves, it is vital that we relearn how to stand close to one another. Surely it is far more beneficial to cast aside egotistical attitudes, thoughts, and conducts, and walk without ever forgetting what the true objective is?

Contradictory lives refuse to leave us be. We observe how deeply our bodies, enslaved within the very system we wish to dismantle, are alienated from ourselves, our labour, our production, and our thoughts. First of all, we all hold bank accounts. Every week, we run to deposit what we have earned, checking transactions through online banking daily, and scrambling to keep our finances in order. The system forces us into this. Although we know down to our core that we ought to begin by closing our bank accounts, we take a step back; we cannot bring ourselves to close them. On the other hand, let us turn our gaze to another issue: private property. We are ideologically opposed to acquiring private property, as it stands directly against the thoughts we champion, yet so many are chasing after property ownership. Once again, as prisoners of the system, a mountain of bills must be paid every single month!.. Marx, in his analysis of Alienation, writes: "Private property is thus the product, the result, the necessary consequence, of alienated labour, of the external relation of the worker to nature and to himself." A human being completely alienated from everything is born out of private property. This is why we have become communities of people who fail at organisation but excel at factionalism. Ultimately, if we can chip away at the power of money and the damage caused by these factions, we might move a fraction closer to true change. If we do not fight, if we do not articulate the absolute necessity of collective solidarity and choosing a side everywhere, the current darkness will only deepen, and the tyranny of those who have settled upon this country like a nightmare will multiply.

To the extent that even our children's future is under threat. The terror of suicide bombers roaming public squares, capable of detonating at any moment, has enveloped everyone; it is no longer possible for children to even play out in the street. With things as they stand, and with our task being immensely difficult, we must maintain the fight without ever letting go; we must learn to value one another despite our differences in opinion or institutional divides, and move as one, never forgetting we stand on the same side. Let the grand master Bertolt Brecht have the final word: "No one escapes solitary from the fist and the chain, either all of us together, or none of us."