The Turkish opposition’s Felicity Party (SP) on Monday announced its founder Recai Kutan had passed away at the age of 94.
“Our esteemed elder Recai Kutan has passed away. We send condolences to our nation and community,” the party said on X.
Kutan, who was first elected lawmaker from the eastern Malatya province in the 1977 elections for the National Salvation Party (MSP), served prison time for nearly 10 months after the 1980 military coup with other MSP leaders.
After he was acquitted by the Military Court of Cassation, he went on to serve as the deputy chair of Welfare Party (RP), which was founded in 1983.
Between 1996-97, Kutan was the minister of energy and natural resources under the 54th administration of Necmettin Erbakan, the head of RP.
After the RP was closed, Kutan was elected as the chair of the Virtue Party, subsequently banned in June 2001.
Kutan then went on to establish SP in 2001 with Erbakan, which he chaired until 2008.
The SP is today headed by Temel Karamollaoğlu, who announced earlier in May that he would step down due to health issues but is yet to be replaced in an ordinary congress.
The SP won in one district and three towns in the March 31 municipal elections, securing eighth place in the list of parties with the highest number of mayoral and municipal assembly seats.
