High machinery engineer, politician and statesman, deputy, minister,
author. He was born in Çanakkale in 1945. He completed his primary and
secondary education in Çanakkale. He started his higher education in Istanbul
and completed it in Germany as High Machinery Engineer. He attended to Social
Sciences Department in Duisburg University for a while. He worked as a social
consultant for Turkish workers and their families in Germany. He worked at
different levels of German Social Democracy Party (SPD) for ten years. He was
the chair of European Social Democrat Public Associations Federation (HDF)
which was established by social democrat Turks living in Germany.
When he returned to Turkey, he joined SHP in 1985. He was the SHP
Istanbul province Secretary, and then he was elected as Istanbul Province
Chair. He did this job for three terms. Then he became the member of Party
Board, Central Executive Board members and Vice General Secretary in SHP. He
was RPP Party Board member after the unification of SHP-RPP.
He was elected as Istanbul Deputy in October 1991 elections. He was SHP
group chairman in TGNA for almost three years. He was European parliamentary
member and AGIK Parliamentarian Board member for two years. He joined YTP in
2002 upon the invitation of Ismail Cem. He left YTP.
He worked as an engineer and manager in several public and private
organizations before becoming a deputy. He published monthly Sosyal Demokrat
journal in 1988 with his friends and established Social Democracy Publications.
He wrote several articles in Sosyal Demokrat Journal on the problems of
society, social democracy and politics and offered solutions. He also has books
published on this issue. He has also contributed to collaborative books written
by several authors and scientists.
He was among the founders of TUSES (Turkey Social Economic Political
research Foundation) which was established in 1989. He established the
"Social Democracy Foundation" (SODEV) in 1994 by a group of social
democrat intellectuals. He was elected as the Executive Board Chair of
foundation. He did this job for 10 years. He was elected as the
"Politician of the Year" by Nokta journal and together with Ismail
Cem due to his contribution for the integration of left.
He participated in protocol and program preparations of 49th and 50th
Coalition governments (TPP_SHP_ RPP) He was the Minister of Culture in 50th
Government. He was elected as deputy from Istanbul again on December 24, 1995
elections. He participated in the TGNA Foreign Affairs Commission in 19th and
20th terms. He is still the Honorary President of SODEV.
WORKS:
Demokratik Cesaret (2008), Kürt Sorunu-Sosyal Demokratik Yaklaşımlar - CHP ve SHP'nin Kürt Sorunu
Raporları (2009), Gerçek Dünya Sanal
Politika (2013), Kürt Sorunu - Sosyal
Demokratik Yaklaşımlar, Sosyal Demokrasi Notları - Toplumları Başkaldırıya
Zorlayan Eşitsizlikler Konusunda... (common book, 2013).
REFERENCE: Profile (ercankarakas.org - idefix.com, 10.8.2015).