Socialist Uras opts for lonely path
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Daily News Parliament Bureau
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Haziran 18, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - An Istanbul deputy, who is the founder of the Freedom and Solidarity Party, or ÖDP, and also Parliament’s only socialist politician, announced his resignation Wednesday from the party.
Ufuk Uras and his followers were planning to bring a change to what they call the "libertarian left." "For a historical union that will destroy all obstacles, we are resigning from the ÖDP together with the libertarian leftists," Uras told a press conference in Parliament.
"Turkey has not been able to see the left as an option closely tied to democracy, equality, freedom, justice and labor with a strong conviction to solve current problems," he said. "Turkey is reluctant and conservative when it comes to innovations," he said."In a country that has been in the hands of putsches, rightist governments and pro-status quo political powers for a decade, and where problems haven’t been solved by democratic and contemporary means, a search for an alternative becomes inevitable," said Uras.
He also stated that the left could solve the existing problems and rise up as an alternative to the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP.
"A sincere and persuasive policy and central left is not utopian. As the libertarian left, we want a change in leftist politics. We believe that it is an important responsibility for the memorable union to get down to action now," noted Uras.
He also called on those who fought for democracy to defend secularism and on those who resisted militarist and authoritarian mind-sets and who believed social and union rights were of vital importance to take action.
"We are on the way to modernize, enlarge, strengthen and activate the central left. We believe that this is a big step for Turkey even though it is a small step for us," according to Uras. He also shared plans to collect all the leftist parties under one roof and become a party even larger than the Social Democrat People’s Party, or SHP.
Upon a question, he said he would form a new party to create an alternative to the AKP. With the resignation of Uras, the number of independent deputies in Parliament has risen to 10.
"Turkey has not been able to see the left as an option closely tied to democracy, equality, freedom, justice and labor with a strong conviction to solve current problems," he said. "Turkey is reluctant and conservative when it comes to innovations," he said."In a country that has been in the hands of putsches, rightist governments and pro-status quo political powers for a decade, and where problems haven’t been solved by democratic and contemporary means, a search for an alternative becomes inevitable," said Uras.
He also stated that the left could solve the existing problems and rise up as an alternative to the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP.
"A sincere and persuasive policy and central left is not utopian. As the libertarian left, we want a change in leftist politics. We believe that it is an important responsibility for the memorable union to get down to action now," noted Uras.
He also called on those who fought for democracy to defend secularism and on those who resisted militarist and authoritarian mind-sets and who believed social and union rights were of vital importance to take action.
"We are on the way to modernize, enlarge, strengthen and activate the central left. We believe that this is a big step for Turkey even though it is a small step for us," according to Uras. He also shared plans to collect all the leftist parties under one roof and become a party even larger than the Social Democrat People’s Party, or SHP.
Upon a question, he said he would form a new party to create an alternative to the AKP. With the resignation of Uras, the number of independent deputies in Parliament has risen to 10.