Mehmet Ufuk Uras (; born January 4, 1959, in Üsküdar, Istanbul, Turkey) is a

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

left-libertarian politician and economist.

Biography and political career

Uras graduated from the Faculty of Economics of

Istanbul University , image = Istanbul_University_logo.svg , image_size = 200px , latin_name = Universitas Istanbulensis , motto = tr, Tarihten Geleceğe Bilim Köprüsü , mottoeng = Science Bridge from Past to the Future , established = 1453 1846 1933 ...

and began working as an academician at the same institution. A former leader of the now-defunct University Lecturers' Union (''Öğretim Elemanları Sendikası''), he was elected the chairman of Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP) in 1996. Uras resigned from the leadership after the 2002 general election. He became the party chairman again in 2007.

2007 elections and after

Uras ran a successful campaign an independent and a "common candidate of the Left" within the Thousand Hopes alliance, backed by Kurdish-based Democratic Society Party and several left-wing, environmentalist and pro-peace groups in the 2007 general election, polling 81,486 votes, which is approximately 4 per cent of the vote in his constituency. After having elected as an independent to the parliament he rejoined the ÖDP. He was removed from his post as the ÖDP party leader in 2009, when his opponent Hayri Kozanoğlu was elected. He resigned from the Freedom and Solidarity Party on 19 June 2009. After the Democratic Society Party was dissolved in December 2009 and two of its MPs were banned from politics for five years, he joined forces with the remaining Kurdish MPs in the Peace and Democracy Party group, giving them the twenty seats necessary to retain their position as a parliamentary party.

Post-parliamentarian political life

Uras did not run in the 2011 general election. On 25 November 2012, he became a co-founder and member of

Greens and the Left Party of the Future Green Left Party ( tr, Yeşil Sol Parti) is a left-libertarian and Green politics, green party in Turkey. It was founded on 25 November 2012 with the name Party of Greens and the Left Future ( tr, Yeşiller ve Sol Gelecek Partisi) as a merger of ...

, founded as a merger of the

Greens Greens may refer to: *Leaf vegetables such as collard greens, mustard greens, spring greens, winter greens, spinach, etc. Politics Supranational * Green politics * Green party, political parties adhering to Green politics * Global Greens * Europ ...

and the

Equality and Democracy Party Equality and Democracy Party (''Eşitlik ve Demokrasi Partisi'', EDP) was a left-libertarian and social liberal political party in Turkey. It was founded on 14 March 2010 by . Halis, of Alevi descent, was a former MP for the Social Democratic P ...

Personal life

Uras is married to ballet dancer and choreographer Zeynep Tanbay. Uras has a son named Deniz from a former marriage.

Books

* ''ÖDP Söyleşileri'', 1999, Istanbul: Alan. * ''Başka Bir Siyaset Mümkün'', 2003, Istanbul: İthaki. * ''İdeolojilerin Sonu mu?'', 2004, Istanbul: Çiviyazıları. * ''Sezgiciliğin Sonu mu?'', 2005, Istanbul: Devin. * ''Siyaset Yazıları'', 2005, Istanbul: Alan. * ''Alternatif Siyaset Arayışları'', 2005, Istanbul: İthaki. * "Kurtuluş Savaşı'nda Sol", 2007, İstanbul: Altın Kitaplar. * "Sokaktan Parlamentoya Özgürlükçü Siyaset İçin Notlar", 2008, İstanbul: Su Yayınları. * "Söz Meclisten Dışarı", 2010, Ankara: Penta Yayınları. * "Meclis Notları", 2013, İstanbul: Pencere Yayınları. *"Velhasıl",2018, İstanbul, Doğan Kitap.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Uras, Ufuk 1959 births Living people People from Üsküdar Istanbul University alumni Academic staff of Istanbul University Turkish economists Turkish non-fiction writers Libertarian socialists Kadıköy Anadolu Lisesi alumni Democratic Regions Party politicians Turkish socialists Deputies of Istanbul Leaders of political parties in Turkey Members of the 23rd Parliament of Turkey