Freedom and Solidarity Party

Infobox_Political_Party
party_name = Özgürlük ve Dayanışma Partisi / Freedom and Solidarity Party
party_
leader = Ufuk Uras
foundation = 1996
headquarters = GMK Bulvari No: 87 / 18, Maltepe, Ankara
ideology = Libertarian socialism
international = European Anticapitalist Left, European Left Party
website = http://odp.org.tr
The Freedom and Solidarity Party (Turkish "Özgürlük ve Dayanışma Partisi (ÖDP)") is a libertarian socialist party in Turkey. The party has had limited electoral success, although it controls a number of town halls and has 1 MP elected as a result of co-operation with the larger Democratic Society Party and is influential in parts of the Turkish trade union movement.

Founded in 1996 as a merger of several left-wing groupings. In 1999 general election, it's first major electoral outing, the party polled 0.8% of the vote, falling far behind the 10% threshold required for parliamentary representation. A deep internal crisis followed and by 2001, several of the initial groupings left. In 2002 elections, the party received 0.3% of the national vote in alliance with Socialist Democratic Party.

In the 2004 local elections, the ÖDP gained control of two town halls in Artvin and Yozgat provinces. In the 2004 local elections the ÖDP was represented in an electoral coalition with the pro-Kurdish DEHAP and the left Social Democrat SHP (Sosyaldemokrat Halk Partisi). Nationwide the coalition won 5%, markedly higher in the Kurdish dominated Southeast of the country (59% in Diyarbakır and 70% in Batman).

The party is influential in some labor unions, especially the teachers' union and several other unions of public employees.

In its program, ÖDP calls itself as a "carrier of the universal and historical longing" for "a equal, free, exploitation-less and class-less world." It aims to "end the power of the forces of capital and imperialism" and "set up the power of the labor forces", "towards a libertarian, self-rule-based, internationalist, pro-democratic-planning, ecologist, anti-militarist and feminist socialism." The party is member of the European Anticapitalist Left and since 2007 a full member of the Party of the European Left.

The party publishes the monthly magazine "Gelecek" (Future).

The party is chaired by Ufuk Uras, who was elected to the parliament as an independent, during the 2007 general election. The party's formal lists polled 0.15% in that poll.

The prominent grouping within the party, the Libertarian Socialism Platform (former "Devrimci Yol" (Revolutionary Path) - also known as Dev-Yol), split up among itself in 2007 between those who support party chairman Ufuk Uras and those who oppose him. A minor grouping is New Way (USFI member). Several former members of the United Communist Party of Turkey are also active in ÖDP, but they no longer stand together as a distinct platform based on their former allegiances.

Gallery

External links

*tr [http://www.odp.org.tr ÖDP] with a short introduction in English.
*de icon [http://www.ozgurlukvedayanisma.com/ Freiheit und Solidarität]
* [http://odpkadikoy.org/kadikoy/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=39&Itemid=60 ÖDP Kadıköy] branch