The party of love, revolution.. and the
After two years of activity, the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ODP) held its first regular congress in Ankara at the end of October. Masis Kürkçügil reports. In the 1970s Turkey had a very strong radical socialist movement, though racked by internal divisions and sectarianism. This left was unable to reorganise its forces after the 1980 coup d'état, and, throughout the 80s, radical left thinking was confined to limited circles.
The situation changed somewhat in
1994, when a number of groups fused to form the Unified Socialist Party (BSP). That project, which mobilised some 34,000 militants, had an electoral potential of about 1%. Meanwhile, the largest 70s group, Dev-Yol (Revolutionary Path) formed its own party, with about the same impact.
In January 1996, however, these two groups came together to form the ÖDP. The presence of 15,000 supporters at the founding meeting testified to the new party's ability to reach beyond the traditional left, to the formerly organised and unorganised militants, and beyond.
At first, the internal problems of the various currents, and the delicate relations between them seemed to be the major obstacles facing the new party. Most observers felt it would be impossible to maintain such a heterogeneous party, which included the remnants of the four pro-Moscow parties of the 1970s, the two large "centrist" currents (Dev-Yol and Kurtulus) and the "Trotskyists."
Time showed, however, that each current had undergone a process of self-criticism and re-evaluation. There was a common consciousness of the need to go beyond the sectarian cleavage of the past, to regroup socialist forces, and to make up for lost ume. Ine re-evaluaton undertaken for lost time. The re-evaluation undertaken by the pro-Moscow Stalinist parties was much deeper and more radical than that made by most of their "sister" parties in other countries. They embraced pluralism and democracy. More than the sum of its parts
Dev-Yol brought to the new party its mass militant base: younger generations of militants that it had 'won over' in the 1980s. Kurtulus, which has the same roots as Dev-Yol, had evolved away from its traditional line, but still opted unambiguously for the ODP regroupment project.
Independents are a key sector of the party. Coming from a range of backgrounds, and not representing a distinct current within the party, they tend to reinforce the common identity of the ÖDP. One quarter of the party leadership comes from this sector.
Each current has brought something essential to the new party. They continue their own life, but within a common framework. So far, these currents show no tendency to decline. But the ÖDP is clearly much more than a federation of the old far left. The new party is dominated by a new, common identity.
The congress agreed to begin preparations to launch a public magazıne or newspaper of the party. So far, apart from an internal bulletin, and a series of thematic documents elaborated in the various forums and debates the party organises, the ÖDP does not have its own publications. Each current, however, has its own magazine, though the only two regular, monthly publications are those of DevYol, the largest current, and Yeniyol [the current identified with the Fourth International], the smallest of the founding groups. The ÖDP takes shape
The congress was preceded by a fourday conference, held behind closed doors. This enabled the official delegates to discuss with other ÖDP supporters, including
South Korean elections