The party’s founders and officials, NGO representatives, academics, members of the press, and numerous invitees attended the event, which was held by HÜDA PAR Headquarters at Sezai Karakoç Culture Center in Yenişehir district.
In his speech at the event, HÜDA PAR Chairman Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu spoke about his party’s success and activities in the last 10 years as well as the aims and vision of the party.
“Following the foundation of our party, we were able to organize in 41 provinces and participate in the elections by holding our 1st Ordinary Grand Congress in a short time like six months. Although we participated in the 2014 elections in only a few cities, we became the 8th party in the election. Maintaining our eligibility to participate in the elections, we nominated our candidates in 81 provinces in the last 2018 parliamentary elections and more than doubled our votes, showing that we are not just a name signage party,” Yapıcıoğlu said.
Yapıcığlu went on to say: “We proved that it is possible to do politics without lying, slander, defamation of political opponents, and most importantly without deceiving the public. We proceeded in line with our goal of bringing virtue and dignity to politics. We brought up the issues and grievances that everyone forgot or kept silent about because their political gains were not enough.
Aiming to say ‘no’ to moral degeneration, we prevented the implementation of many programs that are part of corruption projects such as the Promoting Gender Equality in Education (ETCEP)” project.
We raised the fact that the current formation of the United Nations, and especially the Security Council, and it turned into a slogan and a political doctrine in the UN General Assembly in 2013 as "The world is bigger than five".
For ten years, we had been constantly voicing the demand for a tax-free minimum wage, and finally, a year ago, our demand was accepted. We have another demand regarding the minimum wage, and we will continue to be insistent until we get a result on that issue as well. What's that? To include the worker's dependent family in the definition of the minimum wage.”
Yapıcıoğlu said: “We wanted not ‘to beat the vine grower, but eat the grapes’. With this understanding, we have guided the government on many issues and made it take steps. For example, our warnings about the Istanbul Convention were taken into account, even after 9 years. Unfortunately, the legal regulations, including Law No. 6284, which was made to implement the Istanbul Convention, are still kept in the Turkish civil code. For example, all television channels are required by law to determine and implement a broadcasting policy in accordance with gender equality. All perversions and adultery are still legal in the country, but people are still put in prison for getting married at a young age. The works on the constitutional amendment for the protection and definition of the family were completed and the draft was submitted to the parliament. Likewise, our request for the constitutional guarantee of the hijab will be fulfilled insha'allah.”
Noting that as HÜDA PAR, they have brought a new understanding of opposition to politics in Türkiye, Yapıcıoğlu said that HÜDA PAR will take seriously the truth no matter whom it comes from, and will stand against the wrong even if it comes from one of its members or officials.
Yapıcıoğlu continued his remarks as follows: “We reiterate our call to the government: Take steps to protect the family, promote marriage and give motherhood the value it deserves. Bring retirement rights for mothers who do one of the most difficult and valuable jobs in the world. Do not withhold the support you give to those who hand over their children to caregivers to mothers who take care of their own children. Give them insurance premium support and get them to retire. Introduce the necessary legislation to grant pensions to those who have been married for at least 25 years. Do not strike another blow to the homes by requiring divorce for those who have been married for 15-20 years to receive the pensions left by their parents, if any.”
Yapıcıoğlu called on the government to take action to solve the Kurdish issue and stated: ”Listen to our voice on the solution of the Kurdish issue, which is one of the most fundamental issues of the country. The solution is not very difficult. So what is the solution? The solution is to restore justice. If you want to restore peace, you have to restore justice. What you want for yourself, you will want for those you call brother. You will not do to your brothers what you do not want done to yourself. You will return the legitimate rights without any negotiation. For example, stop resisting the right to education in the mother tongue. Brotherhood is not just words. Brotherhood has a law and fulfills that law. You cannot be effective outside without solving your internal issues, and you become open to outside interventions. We are not rootless; our history began neither in 1923 nor in 1071. Our history started with our father Adam, our covenant is even older. We made a promise in Bezm-i Elest (a term used for the contract that is accepted to have been made between God and people at the time of their creation) and we are the men of our word. Not only is he our Creator, but He is also our God and Lord. Tawhid and justice are our constants, we do not make concessions.
“As I said at our 1st Ordinary Grand Congress on 30 June 2013: As free soldiers of the Free Cause, we declare together from here to friend and foe, and we say, We are neither right-wing nor left-wing, we are middle-way travelers. We are not those who bless the state, but we do not want anarchism and chaos. We are against the use of religion in politics and the use of politics against irreligion. We are not nationalist and racist, we do not call defending the rights of injustice and oppressed people as racism. We find politics on ethnic grounds wrong. We do not find it appropriate to use politics as a tool to assimilate different ethnicities. We are against capitalism, which puts capital before everything and idolizes personal interests. But we do not reject private property and we are not hostile to capital. We don’t want the inside of anyone’s home to be spied on or eavesdropped on. But we do not consent to indecent acts being exhibited in public, in the park, at the bus stop, or on the street, too. We do not see the right to impose our beliefs and thoughts on others. However, we do not accept that we are prevented from fulfilling the requirements of our faith. We are the defenders of the right of those who believe in other religions to practice their faith, to raise their own religious scholars, and to practice their religion. We are not down-to-earth dreamers. We have ideals for which we are ready to make any sacrifice. We wholeheartedly believe that these ideals will come true. And we are never pessimistic.” (ILKHA)