Baking political ’Utopia’ in Turkey
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Vercihan Ziflioğlu
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 09, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Seventy people from every religion and culture in support of universal brotherhood and the craving for an ideal country come together to found the ’Bread Party,’ inspired by the well-known novel ’Utopia’ of Thomas More defining an ideal country
A country where everyone is equal and happy, where there are no class differences and no struggles for personal gain is hard to imagine as a reality. But today there is a group striving to found a new political party inspired by that perfect state described by British author Thomas More more than 500 years ago in his novel "Utopia."
The Bread Party is a "utopia" party founded by 70 people who have come together from every religion and culture in support of universal brotherhood and the craving for an ideal country while opposing economic and political instability and unfair income distribution.
The party symbols include the tea glass, prayer beads, the grill, the three-stringed saz and the okey board. Their slogans include "No one is superior to another," "We want to live like people, too" and "We wish Anatolia to be as civilized as it was 3,000 years ago."
Heating up headquarters in Ankara
Although the party looks utopian now, it aims to be formalized before the next general election. If this utopia party manages to be an actual political party, the headquarters of the "Bread Party" will be a bakery and the office of the general president is to be the small bureau of a few square meters at the bakery. Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review spoke to Hüseyin Irmak, former journalist and the founder of the party; Yüksel Gürel, accountant, and Erdal Doğan, business administrator about this interesting constitution.
"We are coming from everyday life, saying ’halt’ to the present order because the king is naked," Irmak said.
Gürel, the party’s "utopian" education minister, promised that if they are elected and come to power, they would change the education system completely. "Children are the foundation of society. We will inspire in them friendship, not hostility. We will tell them about all the people who have lived together in these lands for thousands of years."
’The people know how to rock the chairs’
Doğan is planning to be the future culture minister for the party. He plans to preserve the artifacts of all the cultures and publicize them, as it is written in the party’s code.
Atmaca is not looking to be a minister but he said he wants to stay as a deputy. "They try to silence us with 30 bags of coal. They hold onto their chairs tightly but the people also know how to rock these chairs." Atmaca is also the president of the Roma Culture Foundation and said the Roma face many problems in Turkey. "There is great pressure on Roma neighborhoods. There is an oppressor class and an oppressed class in this country. We, the oppressed, shall not be silenced."
Anatolia is reference point
for the party
Irmak said this "utopian" party would receive support from the people and enter Parliament. Gürel, Atmaca and Doğan have a claim bigger than their dreams; they believe Irmak will be prime minister in the future. "On these lands, we are rich with our differences, but this wealth is being ignored," Irmak said, adding that all people living on these lands are equals. Irmak said the 70 members of the party have different ethnic identities and belongings just like Anatolia. "This enriches us because Anatolia is our reference point."
Gürel said he is most uncomfortable with his party is recognized as daydreamers. "We are in search of the right and the beautiful. The true day dreamers are the politicians."
Doğan’s statements also support Gürel. "When the occasion arose, they handed out cars and houses, handing out keys. We are not day dreamers, the ones who lead the country are," Doğan said, adding that he believes the party will gain support from the masses day by day.
The party’s principles say: "The state must learn to obey the rules first," "We are nothing but we are everything," "No one is superior to another," "We are neither rightists nor leftists," "What we care about is our bread," "Politics is business"
The Bread Party is a "utopia" party founded by 70 people who have come together from every religion and culture in support of universal brotherhood and the craving for an ideal country while opposing economic and political instability and unfair income distribution.
The party symbols include the tea glass, prayer beads, the grill, the three-stringed saz and the okey board. Their slogans include "No one is superior to another," "We want to live like people, too" and "We wish Anatolia to be as civilized as it was 3,000 years ago."
Heating up headquarters in Ankara
Although the party looks utopian now, it aims to be formalized before the next general election. If this utopia party manages to be an actual political party, the headquarters of the "Bread Party" will be a bakery and the office of the general president is to be the small bureau of a few square meters at the bakery. Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review spoke to Hüseyin Irmak, former journalist and the founder of the party; Yüksel Gürel, accountant, and Erdal Doğan, business administrator about this interesting constitution.
"We are coming from everyday life, saying ’halt’ to the present order because the king is naked," Irmak said.
Gürel, the party’s "utopian" education minister, promised that if they are elected and come to power, they would change the education system completely. "Children are the foundation of society. We will inspire in them friendship, not hostility. We will tell them about all the people who have lived together in these lands for thousands of years."
’The people know how to rock the chairs’
Doğan is planning to be the future culture minister for the party. He plans to preserve the artifacts of all the cultures and publicize them, as it is written in the party’s code.
Atmaca is not looking to be a minister but he said he wants to stay as a deputy. "They try to silence us with 30 bags of coal. They hold onto their chairs tightly but the people also know how to rock these chairs." Atmaca is also the president of the Roma Culture Foundation and said the Roma face many problems in Turkey. "There is great pressure on Roma neighborhoods. There is an oppressor class and an oppressed class in this country. We, the oppressed, shall not be silenced."
Anatolia is reference point
for the party
Irmak said this "utopian" party would receive support from the people and enter Parliament. Gürel, Atmaca and Doğan have a claim bigger than their dreams; they believe Irmak will be prime minister in the future. "On these lands, we are rich with our differences, but this wealth is being ignored," Irmak said, adding that all people living on these lands are equals. Irmak said the 70 members of the party have different ethnic identities and belongings just like Anatolia. "This enriches us because Anatolia is our reference point."
Gürel said he is most uncomfortable with his party is recognized as daydreamers. "We are in search of the right and the beautiful. The true day dreamers are the politicians."
Doğan’s statements also support Gürel. "When the occasion arose, they handed out cars and houses, handing out keys. We are not day dreamers, the ones who lead the country are," Doğan said, adding that he believes the party will gain support from the masses day by day.
The party’s principles say: "The state must learn to obey the rules first," "We are nothing but we are everything," "No one is superior to another," "We are neither rightists nor leftists," "What we care about is our bread," "Politics is business"