Ercan Gundogan

Marxian Theory and Socialism in Turkey: a Critique of the Socialist Journal Aydinlik Ercan Gundogan

The book deals with the Marxian Theory as a whole and socialist theory in Turkey, following the example of the Socialist Journal Ayd¿nl¿k. It demonstrates that there is a gap between the premises of the Marxian theory and the socialist theorising and practice in Turkey. This gap is partially perceived and tried to be surpassed by strategic searchs for a revolutonary change. However, these searches too suffer from another gap between the Kemalist experience of the country and the Marxist theory. As a solution, socialist theory and practice develops different variants of Maoist revolutonary strategies in the form of popular revolution. Main debates within the socialist circles therefore concentrate on choosing and defending the most valid revolutonary strategies, each of which is based on different theorisings of the social and historical structures of Turkey and the Ottoman Empire. In order to justify the preferred revolutonary strategy, adherents of each socialist line and sect demonstrate his or her historical and social data by using Marxian and Leninist texts. The book follows the debates on the behalf of the Marxian theory itself.