Saturday, July 28, 2007

“Independent Candidates”, Supported by Democracy Forces Entered the Parliament

26th July 2007

The general elections in Turkey, which were brought forward because of the crisis in Presidency elections, were held in 22th July.

Because of the 10 percent national threshold, our Party (EMEP) and its allies participated in the elections with “independent candidates”.

The allience of DTP (Democratic Society Party), EMEP (Labour Party), SDP (Socialist Democracy Party), some left-wing groups and organisations, intellectiuals and trade unionists supported 60 independent candidates.

Elections were done under antidemocratic and unequal conditions. While the media propagandised the neoliberal bourgeois parties, they ignored the independent candidates. Also, armed forces prevented the election campaigns of independent candidates. But despite these, 23 independent candidates entered the Parliament. This number is enough to make a group in the Parliament. Our General President Levent Tuzel was also “independent candidate” from Izmir, he got 37 thousand votes but it wasn't enough to enter the Parliament.

After the elections, the three parties those entered the Parliament are: AKP (Justice and Development Party, a liberal party which is collaborator of imperialists) with 340 seats, CHP (Republican People's Party, this party edged towards right gradually, cooperate with putschist generals) wih 112 seats and MHP (Nationalist Movement Party, a fascist party) with 70 seats. All these three parties support the neoliberal economical policies. But AKP follows a moderate Islamic line and the other two follow a nationalist line.

Also an other important point of these elections is the entrance of the “independent candidates” who were supported by Labour, Peace and Democracy Forces. It can be evaluated as an important change at the Parliament. Of course it's important to enter the Parliament again, after 15 deputies of TIP (Workers Party of Turkey) in 1965 and deputies from DEP (Democratic Labour Party) who entered the Parliament 13 years ago and arrested because of taking oath in Kurdish.

The “independent candidates” will have a group in the Parliament and they will defense the human rights such as the democratic solution for Kurdish problem, and the freedom of expression and organisation and the rights of workers and labourers. Also they will struggle with the neoliberal policies of AKP.



Labour Party (EMEP)
International Relations Bureau

International Relations Bureau:
Kocamustafapasa Cd. S. Turan Topal Sk. No:2/2 Fatih/ISTANBUL - TURKEY Tel: +90 212 5884332 Fax: +90 212 5884341
Web: http://www.emep.org

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