(''Özgürlük ve Dayanışma Partisi (ÖDP)'') is a
Socialist party of
Turkey founded in
1996 as a merger of several
Left-wing currents. In general elections of
1999 , the party got about 0.8 % of the national vote, falling far behind the 10 % threshold for parliamentary representation. A deep interior crisis followed and by
2002 , most of the initial groupings left. In
2002 elections, the party (in alliance with the minor social-democratic party
Toplumcu Demokratik Parti ) got 0.3 % of the national vote.
In
2004 local elections, ÖDP gained control of two
Town Hall s in
Artvin and
Yozgat . In the 2004 local elections ÖDP was presented in a coalition with the pro-Kurdish
DEHAP and the left Social Democrat SHP (
Sosyaldemokrat Halk Partisi ). Nationwide the coalition won 5%, markedly higher in the Kurdish dominated Southeast of the country (59% in
Diyarbakır and 70% in
Batman ).
Following the local elections, becoming more and more critical of the policies of Kurdish and socialist groupings, ÖDP maintained close relations with SHP.
Birgün (a project originally initiated by a group of intellectuals who are ÖDP members) has SHP protagonists such as Fikri Sağlar and Yaşar Seyman as column writers and contributors.
ÖDP identifies itself as a
Libertarian and solidaritarian alternative, aiming the Free Democratic Republic (''Özgürlükçü Demokratik Cumhuriyet'') on the basis of
Participatory Democracy and in the long term, creating a Europe of Labour (''Emeğin Avrupası''). ÖDP names efforts for achieving these goals as revolutionary tasks. The party is member of the
European Anticapitalist Left and has an observer status at
Party Of The European Left .
The party publishes the monthly magazine ''Gelecek'' (Future).
The prominent currents within the party are: ''Libertarian Socialism Platform'' (former ''
Devrimci Yol '' (Revolutionary Path) - also known as Dev-Yol), ''Labour and Democracy Group'' (former
United Communist Party Of Turkey affiliates) and
New Way '' (
USFI member).
The party is chaired by Doç.Dr. Hayri Kozanoğlu.
