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Turkey: Activities, platform and membership requirements of the Party of Liberty and Solidarity (Özgürlük ve Dayanisma Partisi, ODP), which is also known as the Freedom and Solidarity Party, including proof of membership and treatment by authorities (October 2002 - October 2005)

General Information

The Özgürlük ve Dayanisma Partisi (ODP), translated as the Party of Liberty and Solidarity (Political Handbook of the World 2000-2002 2002, 1124) or, alternatively, as the Freedom and Solidarity Party (Europa World Year Book 2005 2005, 4340), is based in Ankara and was founded in 1996 (ibid.), following December 1995 elections (Political Handbook of the World 2000-2002 2002, 1124). The ODP was launched "as a broad alliance of various socialist factions together with elements of the once powerful Dev-Yol movement [leftist Revolutionary Path (ibid., 1125)]" with the backing of leftist intellectuals, feminists, and human rights activists (ibid., 1124).

Leadership

According its Website, the ODP's chair was Associate Professor Hayri Kozanoglu, "a specialist on economics [at] Marmara University" (ODP n.d.). According to information published in 2002, Ufuk Uras was the chair of the ODP (ODP 1 Apr. 2002; Political Handbook of the World 2000-2002 2002, 1124). However, by November 2002, Anadolu Agency reported that Uras had announced his impending resignation from the party's leadership (1 Jan. 2003), and by May 2003, the Turkish Daily News stated that the ODP had elected Hayri Kozanoglu to replace Ufuk Uras, who had "resigned after the 2002 elections" (16 May 2003). Despite the fact that Europa World Year Book 2005 continues to cite Ufuk Uras as the party chair, other sources, including the ODP, the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT), and Turkish Daily News have stated that the chair of the ODP is Hayri Kozanoglu (ODP n.d.; HRFT May 2004; Turkish Daily News 31 Jan. 2004).

Platform

On its Website, the ODP provides a thematic outline of its political ideology, which is "libertarian socialism" (30 Jan. 2005), which includes democracy, workers' rights, anti-privatization, multiculturalism, secularism, religious freedom, anti-racism, local governance, women's rights, sexual minority rights, and anti-capitalism (ODP n.d.).

Activities

In the period covered by this Response, members of the ODP have participated in demonstrations (Anatolia 12 June 2004; HRW 27 Apr. 2004; Turkish Daily News 8 Mar. 2004; AFP 9 Mar. 2003). These have included protests against the following: a NATO summit, United States (US) President George Bush (Anatolia 12 June 2004), the Israeli (ibid. 22 May 2004) and US governments' activities (ibid.; Anadolu Agency 5 Feb. 2005), the war in Iraq (Anatolia 23 Mar. 2003; Anadolu Agency 1 Mar. 2003) as well as policies of Turkey's government (Turkish Daily News 8 Mar. 2004; HRW 28 Apr. 2004; AFP 9 Mar. 2003).

Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that on 12 August 2003, police arrested four members of the ODP while they were demonstrating outside the presidential residence in Ankara to protest tentative plans to send Turkish peacekeepers to Iraq (27 Apr. 2004). The four were charged with a breach of Law 2911 (the Law on Demonstrations and Public Meetings), which states that "every citizen has the right to hold peaceful meetings and marches without prior permission" (HRW 27 Apr. 2004). The same day, HRW indicated, police reportedly broke up another allegedly peaceful ODP protest in Istanbul using "pepper gas and truncheons" and detaining thirty people (ibid.).

On 23 January 2003, security forces reportedly arrested several protesters who were members of the ODP, when they attempted to enter the venue of a peace summit to present a letter to delegates (Turkish Daily News 25 Jan. 2003; Anadolu Agency 23 Jan. 2003). According to the Anadolu Agency, up to 13 members of the ODP were detained (ibid.). However, none of the sources consulted by the Research Directorate mentioned the outcome of the detentions.

Relations with Other Parties

The ODP Website states in June 2004, the party made the decision to apply for observer party membership with the European Left Party (ELP) (3 Aug. 2004).

On 22 September 2003, the vice president of the ODP published a letter in which he called for the immediate release of the president of DEHAP (the Democratic People's Party) and the President of the Free Party (ODP 22 Sept. 2003).

In January 2004, leaders of the ODP held a joint press conference with DEHAP, the Social Democratic People's Party (SHP), the Labour Party (EMEP), the Free Society Party (OTP), and the Socialist Democracy Party (SDP) to announce that they would join forces for the March 2004 elections, mentioned below (Anatolia 29 Jan. 2004; see also NTV Television 29 Mar. 2004).

A number of sources have noted demonstrations in which ODP has participated alongside DEHAP, the Socialist Democracy Party (SDP), the Turkish Communist Party (TKP), the Free Society Party (Anatolia 22 May 2004), the Labourers' Party (EMEP), the Worker's Party (IP), the Social Democrat People's Party (SHP) (Turkish Daily News 8 Mar. 2004), the Turkish Union of Engineers and Architects Chambers (TMMOB), and the Confederation of Public Sector Unions (KESK) (Anadolu Agency 5 Feb. 2005; Anatolia 23 Mar. 2003).

Political Impact

During Turkey's 18 April 1999 elections, the ODP garnered less than one per cent of the votes, and by 2002, it was reported that the party had lost members (Political Handbook of the World 2000-2002 2002, 1124). In its list of Turkish parties that it describes has having a "particular impact in recent years," Political Parties of the World 2005 did not mention the ODP (2005, 600). During Turkey's local elections in March 2004, the ODP earned 10,777 votes out of 26,032,731 valid votes (or 0.04 per cent of the total) (Anadolu Agency 29 Mar. 2004).

Information on the ODP's membership requirements or proof of membership could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within time constraints.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Agence France-Presse (AFP). 9 March 2003. "La Turquie à nouveau dans la rue pour manifester contre la guerre." (topic@alc1.par.afp.com) [Accessed 9 Mar. 2003]

Anadolu Agency [Ankara]. 5 February 2005. "Rice's Visit to Turkey Protested." (Factiva)
_____. 29 March 2004. "Local Elections – Constituency: Turkey." (Factiva)
_____. 1 March 2003. "'No to War' Rally in Ankara." (Factiva)
_____. 23 January 2003. "ODP Group Who Tries to Enter Ciragan palace Taken into Custody." (Factiva)
_____. 1 January 2003. "Turkey in 2002 (6)." (Factiva)

Anatolia [Ankara, in Turkish]. 12 June 2004. "Turkish Police Use Pepper Spray Against Young ODP Members Protesting NATO, Bush." (FBIS-WEU-2004-016 14 June 2004/WNC)
_____. 22 May 2004. "Demonstrations Staged in Protest of US, Israel in Various Places in Turkey." (Dialog/WNC)
_____. [Ankara, in English]. 29 January 2004. "Six Turkish Leftist Parties to Join Forces for Local Elections." (BBC/Dialog)
_____. 23 March 2003. "Turkish NGOs Organize Anti-War Demonstrations in Istanbul, Ankara." (BBC/Factiva)

The Europa World Year Book 2005. 2005. Vol. II. "Turkey." London: Europa Publications Ltd.

Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT). May 2004. "Freedom of Meeting and Assembly: May Day Celebrations." <http://www.tivh.org.tr/report/2004_05/mayassem.html> [Accessed 25 Oct. 2005]

Human Rights Watch (HRW). 28 April 2004. "Turkey: Continuing Restrictions on Freedom of Asssembly." <http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/04/27/turkey8498_txt.htm> [Accessed 19 Oct. 2005]

NTV Television [Istanbul, in Turkish]. 29 March 2004. "Turkish TV Outlines Losses and Gains in Local Elections." (BBC Monitoring/Factiva)

Özgürlük ve Dayanisma Partisi (ODP). 30 January 2005. "Speech of Hayri Kozanoglu at the 4th Congress of ODP." <http://www.odpkadikoy.org/news.htm#13> [Accessed 20 Oct. 2005]
_____. 3 August 2004. "ODP is Applying to European Left Party." <http://www.odpkadikoy.org/news.htm#10> [Accessed 20 Oct. 2005]
_____. 22 September 2003. "President of DEHAP and Free Party and Musician Haluk Levent Should Be Set Free Immediately." <http://www.odpkadikoy.org/news.htm#7> [Accessed 20 Oct. 2005]
_____. 1 April 2002. Ufuk Uras. "We Execrate the Beligerancy of the Israel State!" <http://www.odpkadikoy.org/news.htm> [Accessed 25 Oct. 2005]
_____. N.d. "Freedom and Solidarity Party." <http://www.odpkadikoy.org/eng.htm> [Accessed 20 Oct. 2005]

Political Handbook of the World: 2000 – 2002. 2002. "Turkey." Edited by Arthur S. Banks, Thomas C. Muller. Binghamton, NY: CSA Publications.

Political Parties of The World. 2005. "Turkey." 6th Edition. Edited by Bogdan Szajkowski. London: John Harper Publishing.

Turkish Daily News [Ankara]. 8 March 2004. "Press Scanner: NGOs Protest Public Administration Law." (Dialog/Financial Times Ltd.)
_____. 31 January 2004. "From the Papers." (Factiva)
_____. 16 May 2003. "ODP Leader-Parliament's Failure to Pass Motion Saves Turkey's Image." (Factiva)
_____. 25 January 2003. Ilnur Cevik and Gul Demir. "Gul Tells Arab Ministers – If US Forces Arrive in Region They Won't Leave Without a War – US Denies."

Additional Sources Consulted

Internet Sites; including: Amnesty International (AI); British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC); The Economist [London]; Election World; European Country of Origin Information Network (ECOI); Freedom House; Green Left Weekly [Broadway; Australia]; Human Rights Association of Turkey; Hurriyet [Istanbul]; Integreated Regional Information Network (IRIN); International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF); Leftist Parties of the World; Mazlumder (Organization of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed People); Middle East Intelligence Bulletin (MEIB) [New York]; Middle East Times [Cairo]; National Political Parties; Political Resources; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL); Social Science Information Gateway; Turkey Post; Turkish Daily News [Ankara]; Turkish Embassy in Washington, DC; United States Department of State; World News Connection (WNC); Zaman [Istanbul].