‘Democratic Alliance’ meeting: Messages of ‘hope, trust, joint struggle’

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A series of socialist political parties and movements met in Turkey's capital city of Ankara upon the call of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) yesterday (January 18). They have given messages of "hope and determination" in their joint statement following their first meeting.

In their joint statement, the HDP, the Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP), Socialist Assemblies Federation (SMF), Labor Party (EMEP), Social Freedom Party (TÖP), People's Houses, Labourist Movement Party (EHP) and Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) have underlined "hope, trust and unity in struggle". They have taken the following first joint decisions:

"To continue to wage a joint struggle and to multiply and reinforce the grounds of struggle; to determine the issues of joint struggle and to have regular meetings to set the content, methods and calendar to realize them; to aim to extend the joint struggle in such a way that it will incorporate all democratic, left, socialist and revolutionary forces of Turkey."

The joint statement of the political parties and movements has underlined that "it is possible to form a strong unity which will raise the hopes and give confidence to society" in order to eliminate "the increasing social, political and economic problems of Turkey."

They have also put forward a perspective that "the current oppressive regime can be blocked" together and they can "pave the way for a democratic change and transformation." They have jointly expressed the belief that "there is a need for a wide partnership in struggle to be waged by the democratic, left, socialist and revolutionary forces" of the country.

The socialist parties and movements have announced that they will continue speaking with the HDP about "the ways and methods to form the widest possible partnership for democracy, equal citizenship and struggle with all oppressed, otherized and aggrieved people of Turkey, its laborers, women and young people" and acting "with a sense of social responsibility".

Left Party did not attend the meeting

One of the parties invited to the "Democratic Alliance" meeting upon the call of the HDP was the Left Party. But, in a statement a day before, the party announced that it would not attend the meeting, saying that it would "not be a part of the work named democracy alliance, to be made upon the call of the HDP and whose boundaries and content were not certain."

The party also noted that "it did not find it right to discuss alliances with regards to an election, the conditions of which were not yet clear." While the party indicated that it did not approve of "starting the discussion with electoral alliances and number of MPs", Left Party Board of Presidents Önder İşleyen also said in a discussion program on Halk TV that the party "did not find it right to do politics by leaning on another power". (AEK/SD)