TURKEY – Led by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), Turkey’s six opposition political parties and organisations that held talks on 25 August have announced a new umbrella organisation under the name Labour and Liberation Alliance to wage a common democratic struggle that will start before the 2023 elections and continue afterwards.
Representatives of the Labourers Movement Party (EHP), Labour Party (EMEP), Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the Federation of Socialist Assemblies (SMF), the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP) and the Social Freedom Party (TÖP) all met in Istanbul on Thursday.
After the meeting, the block announced the formation of the Labour and Liberation Alliance to fight for change based on the values of labour, peace, freedom and democracy against the policies of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its far-right coalition ally the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
Following the meeting hosted by TİP, the representatives said in their joint statement that the alliance will declare its principles of struggle, the framework of its political program, and its pre- and post-elections roadmap to the public in September.
“We will fight together for humane working and living conditions; for a strong democracy based on people’s sovereignty; for a peaceful and democratic solution to the Kurdish question; for the equality and freedom of women, youth and disadvantaged groups; and for the protection of nature and our cultural assets,” they said.
The Labour and Liberation Alliance is the third alliance formed in Turkey’s current political scene. The ruling AKP-MHP are accompanied by smaller partners in the People’s Alliance, while the bulk of mainstream opposition parties came together under the Nation Alliance.
The Nation Alliance, led by main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), is also known as the six-party table and includes two smaller centre-right parties that broke away from the AKP in recent years, led by former AKP heavyweights Ali Babacan and Ahmet Davutoğlu. The alliance’s main promise is to create a democratic consensus and roll back the AKP’s 2017 amendments to Turkey’s constitution, which abandoned the parliamentary system in favour of an executive presidential one.
On August 20, left-wing organizations in Turkey formed the Union of Socialist Forces, a new electoral alliance. The alliance comprises the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP), the Peoples’ United Revolutionary Movement (HBDH), the Left Party (Sol Party) and the Communist Movement of Turkey (TKH). In a press conference organized in Ankara last week, the Union of Socialist Forces launched its manifesto regarding the 2023 general elections. The press conference was attended by Ozan Yılmaz of TKP, Ercan Bölükbaşı of HBDH, İsmail Hakkı Tombul of the Left Party and Umut Kuruç of TKH. The Union of Socialist Forces has resolved to end the conservative regime in Turkey led by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his right-wing Justice and Development Party (AKP).
The major points in the political program of the Union of Socialist Forces include bringing an end to the rule of the Islamists of AKP and Erdoğan. The manifesto calls for the cessation of the privatization of key sectors and the nationalization of all health, education and social services. The Union of Socialist Forces seeks to put an end to the actions of the imperialist monopolies using a planned economy. The Union called for a withdrawal of Turkey from NATO and the guarantee of Turkish independence from imperialist powers and closure of foreign bases in Turkey.
The protection of secularism, women’s rights and rights for ethnic, religious and gender minorities is another point in the coalition’s program. Under the rule of the AKP-run government led by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, religious conservatism has tightened its grip on all sectors of social and private life in the country. The working class, artists, writers, secularists, women, gender and ethnic minorities are under constant attack by the ruling class and religious fanatics.
The conservative government has also continued to be a part of NATO. Attacks on refugees, women and Kurds have spiked under AKP rule.
Kemal Okuyan, the general secretary of TKP, told media, “the Union of Socialist Forces was established for those who adopt the goal of a secular and independent Turkey as their flag, and defend the interests of the working people to create a united and organized movement. Here, different political structures met on common ground and decided to act with a principled, contingent framework, in contrast to the existing alliances buried in electoral negotiations.”
Okuyan added, “The Union of Socialist Forces is not a formation that limits itself to elections. However, we are in the election period and naturally there are those who call the Unity of Forces the 3rd alliance. As a result, we act with the aim of not condemning the society in Turkey to a political partisanship determined by so called nationalists and republican alliances and in this sense, we represent a different side. The side has a weight far above its current voting potential. Undoubtedly, we want this to be reflected in the vote, but our main goal is to increase the organized power of the people in Turkey.”
