The Unity Party (, TBP, until 1973 ''Birlik Partisi'' - ''BP'') was a former

Alevi Alevism or Anatolian Alevism (; tr, Alevilik, ''Anadolu Aleviliği'' or ''Kızılbaşlık''; ; az, Ələvilik) is a local Islamic tradition, whose adherents follow the mystical Alevi Islamic ( ''bāṭenī'') teachings of Haji Bektash Veli, ...

political party that existed from 1966 until its closure in 1981 after the

military coup of 1980 A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

. It had its roots among the

population in modern-day Turkey.

Huseyin Balan Hussein, Hussain, Hossein, Hossain, Huseyn, Husayn, Husein or Husain (; ar, حُسَيْن ), coming from the triconsonantal root Ḥ-S-i-N ( ar, ح س ی ن, link=no), is an Arabic name which is the diminutive of Hassan (given name), Hassa ...

was elected party president in 1966, and was succeeded in 1969 by Mustafa Timisi. Some of the main party leaders were members of an influent Alevi family of the Ulusoy. It gained seats in the Turkish Parliament between 1966 and 1977. In the general elections of 1969, the party entered parliament with eight deputies of which five also supported the Government of

Süleyman Demirel Süleyman Sami Demirel (; 1 November 1924 – 17 June 2015) was a Turkish politician, engineer, and statesman who served as the 9th President of Turkey from 1993 to 2000. He previously served as the Prime Minister of Turkey seven times between ...

. In the general elections of 1973 the party only stemmed 1.1% of the voter share, gaining a single deputy in parliament, which was Mustafa Timisi. The party advocated for the recognition of the Alevis through the

Directorate of Religious Affairs The Directorate of Religious Affairs in Turkey ( tr, Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı, normally referred to simply as the Diyanet) is an official state institution established in 1924 by the orders of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk under article 136 of t ...

and demanded more religious freedom. It also worked closely together with Alevi organizations. It was more supportive towards

Kemalism Kemalism ( tr, Kemalizm, also archaically ''Kamâlizm''), also known as Atatürkism ( tr, Atatürkçülük, Atatürkçü düşünce), or The Six Arrows ( tr, Altı Ok), is the founding official ideology of the Republic of Turkey.Eric J. Zurcher ...

and did not gain so much support supposedly of the Kurdish Alevi. Its logo depicted a lion encircled by 12 stars representing Ali and the 12 twelve imams. Its successor was the Peace Party (''Barış Partisi'', BP) existed between 1996 and 1999 - a splinter party from the Republican People's Party (CHP).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Unity Party Turkey History of the Alevis Political parties of minorities Left-wing parties Anti-clerical parties Political parties established in 1966 1966 establishments in Turkey Defunct political parties in Turkey Political parties disestablished in 1981 1981 disestablishments in Turkey