Turkey

Resignation

The pre-1980 generations and the political identities dating from this period have ceased to be the motor forces of politics

Monday 3 February 2003, by Ufak Uras

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"The people have voted for the AKP out of spite and anger against the parties of the centre and against the centrifugal forces. I believe that this structural situation could open the road for the left in the period to come. On condition that it can dare to look at its own face in the mirror. It is clear that we have not succeeded in inspiring confidence among the people. They have preferred to act as if we did not exist. We must cease to hide behind excuses and build a collective consciousness...

We have seen that a politics cut off from social reality is condemned to putrefy. We have to understand that a political revival will only come through the rise of the political dynamism of the social organizations. We are faced with the task of building a left alternative, a left axis, and a left pole of attraction. It is pointless to say, "the people have not understood us". The people are still confronted in the elections with a choice between the plague and cholera, they chosen what seems to them to be the lesser evil... Today, the pre-1980 generations and the political identities dating from this period have ceased to be the motor forces of the politics. The formulae of umbrella parties rallying everyone have henceforth no meaning. It is now necessary to defend with determination a politics, which is resolutely in favour of liberties.

The left is in a phase of transition. Either it will renew itself or it will become petrified. It should be said that the fault is essentially ours and not that of the people. Finally, it is a good thing to see that the lessons learnt by heart by the left have proved bankrupt. To those who wish anew to recite those lessons, I wish good luck. But today, the most revolutionary task is to tear up these lessons learnt by heart and place oneself at the heart of life itself. If the left has entered into a coma, it is not those who put it in that condition who will bring it out again. It is necessary to give way to youth. It is necessary also to renew the ÖDP fundamentally... For this reason I have decided to fold my umbrella and go into retirement."

Ufuk Uras, president of the ÖDP (Party of Liberty and Solidarity) announced his resignation from his post in this article, which appeared in the daily ’Cumhuriyet’ on November 16, 2002.