CHAIRPERSON

ERKAN BAŞ

Erkan Baş was born on July 14, 1979, in Berlin to a Bosnian immigrant family from Yugoslavia.
He spent his childhood in Turkey, completing his primary and secondary education in Istanbul.
He graduated from Istanbul University’s Faculty of Letters, Department of the History of Science, and began graduate studies, which he could not complete due to political pressures.
He served as editor-in-chief of the academic journal 'Studies in the History of Science' and lectured as a visiting instructor at Istanbul Technical University and Yıldız Technical University.
He was later dismissed from the university for supporting the cafeteria workers’ struggle for their labor rights.

Baş’s engagement with politics began during his youth. He took part in socialist student organizations and labor solidarity movements, later joining the Socialist Power Party (SİP), marking his first formal step into political life. He held various positions in the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) and became its General Secretary in 2009. During the internal split within the TKP in 2014, he co-founded the People’s Communist Party of Turkey (HTKP) and served as its General Secretary. In 2017, he played an active role in the re-establishment of the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP) and was elected its founding Chairperson.

Erkan Baş, who was elected as an Istanbul Deputy from the HDP lists in the general elections of June 24, 2018, continued his duty under the umbrella of TİP after resigning from the HDP together with Barış Atay Mengüllüoğlu in accordance with the election protocol, and ensured the representation of the party in the parliament. In the 2023 general elections, he was re-elected as an Istanbul Deputy and became the 28th Member of Parliament. He continues his duty in the Legislative Period.

Erkan Baş, who is married and has two children, has a book called Yaşamak için Sosyalizm.