6555 - Anarchism and Thrace

N. Lygeros
Translation: Paola Vagioni

If we don’t examine the case of Ukraine against communism and the case of Spain against the junta, we cannot dare to think of a framework of anarchism that concerns Thrace. We have the impression that patriots cannot be anything else but nationalists. In reality, history teaches us that anarchism contains natural elements of patriotism. Our difficulty is derived from the identification of the notions of country and state. Moreover, in the Greek domain we have the impression that anarchism is against order, which is a terrible mistake that pays no importance even to the circle of anarchism which means Ordre, i.e. order. More specifically, Joseph Proudhon writes that anarchism is order without state. As for the initial problem of identification it is enough to remember that the state is institutional, while the country is humane, in order to realize that the difference makes the difference. Without these structural elements in our minds, we have the impression that only the right-wing extremists are really involved with the problem of Thrace, which is wrongfully turned into a nationalistic issue. Moreover, we consider this preoccupation to contain racist elements against the Turks. For these reasons many are not involved with Thrace in order not to be stigmatized by society. This argument is not only ridiculous, since as it is said in France, laughter does not kill, it is terrifying because we are letting Thrace to die due to political perception. The issue of Thrace before turning into a Thracian one, is all about human rights. And even anarchism cannot remain indifferent. Mustafa Kemal is a genocidal killer to humanity as Hitler and Stalin were. There is no essential difference and this is what should concern us. Being a Turk, German or Russian is not important. The problem is Kemalism, Nazism and Stalinism. In Thrace we shouldn’t be preoccupied with the people but with the institutions, because on them the expansive policy of Turkey is based. For example what is the reason of existence of a consulate in Komotini since we are talking about Greek citizens. The Turkish natives, the Pomaks and the Gypsies are all Greek citizens and we have to protect them in the same manner. The framework is neither institutional nor partisan but human only. It isn’t possible therefore, for a thinker of anarchism not to feel that the proper thing is to protect Thrace. And if one is afraid of being considered as a right-wing extremist then, one is worthy of one’s fate solely. We use this extreme example in order to prove that the theory of the partisan approach with the nationalist tendencies is erroneous. This is proven by Karl Popper’s criterion.