The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Co-Chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan attended the 5th Ordinary Congress of the Socialist Refoundation Party (SYKP) in Ankara on Friday.

In his speech at the congress, Bakırhan said, "We are facing great injustice, poverty and wars that we have never seen at any other time. Never before has one third of the world become refugees. Today, the majority of the world's population lives with one eye on their bags, holding their children's hands, with the thought of seeking refuge in another country at any moment."

Emphasising that "Turkey has lost its role as a playmaker in the Middle East", Bakırhan stated the following:

"We have watched the wars, conflicts, destruction and proxy war in Syria together. Similar policies are intended to be implemented in Rojava. But the Kurds, revolutionaries and socialists in Rojava, as an oasis in the desert, have set a great example for the world women's struggle and the revolutionary struggle with their struggle and the slogan 'Jin, Jiyan, Azadî' (Woman, Life, Freedom). I commemorate with respect and gratitude all those who stood in solidarity with Rojava and those who lost their lives there.

The world is full of wars and conflicts. There is serious chaos in the world and ways and methods to get out of this chaos are being sought. Revolutionaries, Kurds and socialists are discussing how to get out of this chaos and are fighting for it. Turkey's war against the Kurds is not independent of the developments in the Middle East. Turkey has lost its role as a playmaker because it could not resolve the Kurdish question. It lost this role because it moved away from freedoms and democracy. On the contrary, its role has led to the acceleration of nationalism, racism, Alevi hostility, Kurdish hostility and misogyny in Turkey.

3rd way politics

A serious right-wing populism and nationalism is developing and growing in Turkey. We revolutionaries struggle for the end of injustices in the world and conflicts in the Middle East. On the one hand, we continue our struggle with great devotion for the end of this racist and nationalist wave developing in Turkey. With our 3rd Way politics, we will fight even more vigorously. Left-socialist forces, Kurds, workers will prevent fascism.

Local elections

As the DEM Party, we are preparing for local elections in Turkey within the framework of urban consensus. Election work is being carried out in many parts of Turkey together with democrats, labourers and our non-fascist and non-nationalist friends. We do not have a wholesale approach. In some cities, consensus can be achieved with labour-friendly candidates who will serve our democratic revolutionary peoples. However, this does not mean supporting the candidates of the opposition against the ruling AKP in the whole of Turkey. Our principles are clear; the candidates should not be anti-women, anti-Kurdish or rent-seeking and should implement socialist municipalism. They should be open in the representation of our peoples and rights. They should implement a social and transparent local administration approach together. We are on the side of the workers, the oppressed, the unrepresented and the marginalised. We will meet the local elections with a large majority of the oppressed by putting up a determined struggle together with the segments we are on the side of. With a communal understanding of struggle, we can push back fascism."