Free Cause Party–People's Alliance relations

The Free Cause Party–People's Alliance relations refer to the relations between the Free Cause Party (HÜDA PAR) and the People's Alliance, which have been a topic of controversy.

History

Hüseyin Yılmaz of HÜDA PAR in 2021 criticised the AKP and MHP for their unwillingness to give Kurds equality, with Yılmaz claiming that it was all it took for the PKK to cease its operations. While the People's Alliance supported the closure of the HDP, HÜDA PAR was against its closure. HÜDA PAR had also expressed its willingness for an alliance with the HDP.

During the 2023 Turkish presidential election, HÜDA PAR announced its support for the People's Alliance. It sparked a controversy due to the ideologies and goals of HÜDA PAR being conflicting with those of MHP and BBP, and even AKP. While HÜDA PAR advocates for Kurdish language official status, the AKP tolerated using languages other than Turkish but opposed official status, and the MHP and BBP claimed that only Turkish should be used and recognised. HÜDA PAR claimed that some of the constitution should be changed and that non-Turks should receive legal recognition, while MHP and BBP claim that every citizen is a Turk and opposed changing the constitution. HÜDA PAR also advocated for federalising Turkey, while the MHP supported a unitary state, and the BBP supported increased local governance as long as it does not interfere with the unitary state.

Celal Adan of MHP in April 2023 stated that "HÜDA PAR has nothing to do with the People's Alliance. HÜDA PAR's candidates are parliamentary candidates from the AK Party, not in the alliance. Nothing comes out of here from us. We will neither meet nor be together with HÜDA PAR." Serkan Ramanlı responded with criticism of MHP and support of HEDEP (later DEM). The People's Alliance officially consisted of the AKP, MHP, and BBP. HÜDA PAR only supported the alliance and had its members run under the AKP list, as it was not an official member. The alliance would have included the YRP too, although Fatih Erbakan rejected joining the alliance.

In April 2023, Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu sparked controversy by stating that the constitution of Turkey should be changed, and that the name of the Turkish flag should be changed as well. He again sparked controversy in May for refusing to call it the "Turkish flag". Tugrul Türkeş stated "if he has the right to be offended by that flag, my right to be offended by HÜDA PAR and its chairman is a democratic right." Mustafa Destici had also criticised the thoughts of HÜDA PAR, and claimed that Hezbollah was a terrorist organisation. Destici also criticised a HÜDA PAR statement which advocated for regionalism.

Yapıcıoğlu sparked more controversy in May, after being asked "is Hezbollah a terrorist organization?", he stated "no, you call them terrorist organisations, I call them PKK and Hezbollah."

Also in April 2023, the MHP did not send an Eid greeting to HÜDA PAR, although they sent one to even the CHP. Later, Devlet Bahçeli and Yapıcıoğlu were both invited to the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant opening ceremony, although Bahçeli refused to be in the same photo with Yapıcıoğlu, and Yapıcıoğlu refused to come to the ceremony.

During the 2024 elections, Yapıcıoğlu expressed that he saw the AKP as a rival of HÜDA PAR, and he stated that he supported the People's Alliance in 2023 only because the CHP was planning to "Turkify" Kurds and continue denying their existence if they won the election.