HÜDA PAR (Free Cause Party) Chairman Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu met with Turkish expatriates in Innsbruck, Austria.

Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu told the expatriates about the mission and goals of HÜDA PAR and also made statements about the current political picture of Türkiye.

Asking the expatriates to cast their ballots in the 2023 Turkish general election, Yapıcıoğlu said: “45 percent of the citizens living abroad, who were eligible to vote in the elections, went to the polls in the last elections held in 2018. While the election saw a remarkable 87 percent turnout in the country, only about half of our expatriate brothers cast their votes. If you have Turkish citizenship, you have the right to participate in the elections and to vote. So, don't say what will happen with one vote. Whichever party you vote for, I say still do your civic duty.”

“Injustice lies at the root of almost all of the problems in Türkiye”

“Almost all problems in Türkiye stem from injustice. I have been visiting provinces across Türkiye for one and a half years. 80-85 percent of people are voicing problems associated with the economy. For example, unemployment is almost non-existent in some regions of Turkey, but in some regions; especially in Kurdish majority regions in East and Southeast Anatolia, it is twice or even three times higher than in other regions. So, isn't that an unfairness? Turkey's population is 85 million. I believe that the arable land of Turkey is fertile enough to feed 185 million people, not 85. But while some people get richer, the economic policies work against the poor,” Yapıcıoğlu said.

“Ban on education in the mother language should be lifted”

Yapıcıoğlu continued his remarks as follows: “The ethnic identity of some people living in Turkey is denied, and there are barriers to education in the mother tongue. Currently, there are some elective courses aimed to teach mother tongues in schools. But while teachers are being appointed, only 2 out of thousands of teachers are Kurdish teachers.”

“The right to compensation of those who have been wronged should be guaranteed”

Emphasizing that existing problems can only be resolved on the basis of justice, Yapıcıoğlu underlined that in order to restore the right of someone who has been wronged, not only should the persecutor be punished, but also the loss of rights should be compensated.

“If a strong person or an institution has oppressed a weak person or a community, it is necessary not only to punish the oppressor but also to eliminate the injustices he has suffered in order to achieve justice. We say that, by Allah's leave, if we are in power, we will do our best to achieve justice,” Yapıcıoğlu said. (ILKHA)