The Green Left Party held its first parliamentary group meeting in Ankara. YSP co-speaker Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar gave a speech assessing current issues and commenting on the May presidential and parliamentary elections. She said: "One of the most important indicators of the election results is that the crises and problems we are experiencing are not over, but, on the contrary, continue to increase. There is a complex political crisis. More than half of the citizens living in this country do not agree with the despotic system that has been imposed on us by the 'Presidential System of Government'. The election debates are not over yet. Nobody should think that we have given up the fight for peace, jobs, ecology and women. The election results made it clear to us that our struggle is justified and must continue to grow. Regardless of the election results, no government can survive without making the connection between the unresolved Kurdish question and all the social and structural problems we are experiencing. So we appeal to common sense: you must see this future and position yourself accordingly."

Nevertheless, the election results are "a serious reason for criticism and self-criticism," Uçar said, adding: "It is clear that we need a new political structure and a new organizational language. In this sense, criticism is our greatest strength and self-criticism is the mechanism that will rebuild us and help us move forward. We are aware of this responsibility."

“The main problem is fascism”

Uçar said that after discussions within the party committees and with allies, a discussion with the local base is now to take place, the results of which will be incorporated into the upcoming party congress. "The main problem is fascism itself. For us, the main issue is the means and methods with which we will fight this fascism. Our heritage has a very valuable place in this struggle. We will continue our work without getting stuck in representative and bourgeois politics, without falling into a populism that depoliticizes politics, and above all with an understanding and a line that will expand our social alliances. We will show everyone how democratic politics is done in Turkey. We pledge to create stronger and more authentic connections to all the struggles and dynamics of this society, from women to young people, from working people to the oppressed, from the disabled to the poor and to the ecology movement. The struggle is not only in Parliament, but also in the streets. The coming time will be hard for all of us. We have promised to rally the social opposition, rebuild it and assume all objections in the furthest corners of the country as our own objections. In line with these promises, together we will fight the strongest democratic struggle in Turkey. Because we are the strongest and only address against fascism. Because we are the only party defending coexistence against racism and hatred. That is our hallmark and, of course, the main reason for the attacks we are witnessing today."

"We are the antidote to male domination"

The decisive factor in this context is the struggle of women, Uçar said, adding: "For us, the struggle of women is not only carried out in parliament. Women's struggle is also in the streets. The more the street struggle is reflected here, the more real Parliament will come to life. There is an antidote to male dominance in Turkish politics: the system of equal representation and co-chairmanship. Many of our friends who defended and breathed life into this system are in prison today. Despite being in prison, they continue and develop their struggle from there."

Uçar pointed out that the centre of the AKP's election campaign was anti-Kurdish and misogynist discourse and added: "Women's struggle was one of the areas in which the government intervened the most during the electoral campaign. Both the anti-Kurdish alliance and the alliance with the enemies of women were the main themes of the electoral campaign. We have stated that women's struggle cannot be measured by election results. The struggle of women shows very serious data and dynamics on how to build women's equality and freedom as well as democratic politics and unity in society. We are aware that the government is trying to usurp all of our achievements. We know that this government sees women's struggle as the greatest threat to itself. It will continue to do so, because women's struggle will further minimize their existence and take society's values to the highest level."