View source for Technology Development Party

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox political party
| colorcode        = {{party color|Alternative Party}}
| name             = Technology Development Parti
| native_name      = Teknoloji Kalkınma Partisi
| logo             = 
| logo_size        = 240px
| leader1_title    = Leader
| leader1_name     = [[Ahmet Özal]]
| foundation       = 1998
| dissolution      = 
| predecessor      = National Association Party (1998-2007)<br />Alternative Party (2007-2015)<br />Principles and Values Party (2015-2022)
| successor        = 
| headquarters     = [[Ankara]], Turkey
| ideology         = [[Liberalism]]<br />[[Fiscal conservatism]]<br />[[Pro-Europeanism]]
| membership       = {{up }} 2,217
| position         = [[Centre-right]]
| international    = ''None''
| colours          = {{Color box|#E62E00|border=darkgray}}{{Color box|#FFDA47|border=darkgray}}<br />[[Red]] and [[yellow]]
| country          = Turkey
}}
{{Politics of Turkey}}
The '''Technology Development Parti''' ([[Turkish language|Turkish]]: ''Teknoloji Kalkınma Partisi'') is a [[Conservatism|conservative]] political party in [[Turkey]] founded in 1998.

It is, as claimed by its leader [[Süleyman Yağcıoğlu]], the successor to the [[Motherland Party (Turkey)|Motherland Party]] (ANAP), which was in government between 1983 and 1991. The party was known as the National Association Party until 2008, where it changed its name to Alternative Party after the ANAP announced that it would merge with the [[Democratic Party (Turkey, current)|Democrat Party]] (DP).

The party's former leader Süleyman Yağcıoğlu strongly endorsed the ANAP's founder and two-term Prime Minister [[Turgut Özal]], who also served as the 8th [[President of Turkey]]. Noting that former leader of the [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|Justice and Development Party]] (AKP) [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] also endorsed Özal during the [[2014 Turkish local elections|2014 local election campaign]], the ALP withdrew from the election and supported the AKP.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://alternatifparti.org.tr/?q=node%2F11 |title=Alternatif Parti - Kanaltürk &#124; Alternatif Parti |access-date=2018-10-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150304083702/http://www.alternatifparti.org.tr/?q=node%2F11 |archive-date=2015-03-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The party favours devolution to local authorities, lower taxes and [[European Union]] membership. The ALP further advocates the lowering of the parliamentary threshold during general elections from 10% to 2% and also the scrapping of the Political Parties law in order to increase inner-party democracy. The party is against politics that involves language, religious or ethnic discrimination.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://alternatifparti.org.tr/?q=node%2F14 |title=Alternatif Parti Programı|access-date=2018-10-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150304102628/http://www.alternatifparti.org.tr/?q=node%2F14 |archive-date=2015-03-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==History==

=== National Association Party (1998-2007) ===
Founded in 1998, the [[National Association Party]] (UBP) was first led by [[Semih Tufan Gülaltay]], who was convicted in 2005 for murder, forgery and also for possessing membership of the [[True Path Party]] while serving as the UBP leader. After he stepped down by order of the [[Court of Cassation (Turkey)|Court of Cassation]] in 2005, Gencehan Tunay was elected leader. He was eventually succeeded by [[İlker Bircan]], who changed the party's name to Alternative Party and also adopted a more liberal ideology in contrast to the UBP's [[Turkish nationalism]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.zaman.com.tr/politika_gulaltayin-ulusalci-partisi-liberal-oldu_590311.html |title=Gülaltay'ın ulusalcı partisi liberal oldu |access-date=2015-02-11 |archive-date=2015-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211213317/http://www.zaman.com.tr/politika_gulaltayin-ulusalci-partisi-liberal-oldu_590311.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The current leader of the party is [[Süleyman Yağcıoğlu]], who was an ANAP [[Member of Parliament]] elected in the [[1983 Turkish general election|1983 general election]].

=== Alternative Party (2007-2015) ===
The Alternative Party is the continuation of the National Unity Party. İlker Bircan, who was elected as the chairman of the National Unity Party in the congress held in 2007, changed its name to the Alternative Party.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=13 November 2008 |title=Alternatif Parti kavga çıkardı |url=https://www.haber7.com/siyaset/haber/357811-alternatif-parti-kavga-cikardi |access-date=9 April 2023 |website=Haber7 |language=tr}}</ref>

=== Principles and Values Party (2015-2022) ===
In March 2015, the party took the decision to dissolve during a congress and to change its name to Principles and Values Party ''(İlke ve Değerler Partisi)'' or ''(İLK Parti)''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 March 2015 |title=Alternatif Parti'nin ismi değişti |url=https://www.trthaber.com/haber/turkiye/alternatif-partinin-ismi-degisti-173922.html |access-date=9 April 2023 |website=www.trthaber.com |language=tr}}</ref>

=== Technology Development Party (2015-2022) ===
On April 11, 2022, [[Ahmet Özal]] was elected as the chairman of the Principles and Values Party and the name of the party was changed to Technology Development Party ''(TEK Party)''.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=11 April 2022 |title=Ahmet Özal partiyi güncelledi: 'İlk'ti, 'Tek' oldu |url=https://www.gazeteduvar.com.tr/ahmet-ozal-partiyi-guncelledi-ilkti-tek-oldu-haber-1560178 |access-date=9 April 2023 |website=www.gazeteduvar.com.tr |language=tr-TR}}</ref> The party leader [[Ahmet Özal]] announced his candidacy for the [[2023 Turkish presidential election]] but was not able to collect enough signatures for the candidacy.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 March 2023 |title=Ahmet Özal imza sürecinde yaşadıklarını SÖZCÜ TV’de anlattı |url=https://www.sozcu.com.tr/2023/gundem/ahmet-ozal-imza-surecinde-yasadiklarini-sozcu-tvde-anlatti-7636472/ |access-date=9 April 2023 |website=www.sozcu.com.tr |language=tr}}</ref> Later on, the party decided to endorse [[Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu]] instead.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ahmet Özal'dan Kılıçdaroğlu'na destek |url=https://www.birgun.net/haber/ahmet-ozal-dan-kilicdaroglu-na-destek-427584 |access-date=2023-04-06 |website=birgun.net |language=Turkish}}</ref>

==Logo controversy==
The ALP was involved in a logo controversy in the run-up to the [[2014 Turkish local elections|2014 local elections]], where several AKP activists and journalised confused the party with another party with a similar name, the [[Alternative and Change Party]] (ADP). The ADP frequently uses the abbreviation ''AL PARTİ'' and adopts a logo very similar to that of the AKP, which uses the abbreviation ''AK PARTİ''. The ALP, which decided to not contest the elections and support the AKP instead, was thus accused of attempting to mislead AKP voters during the election in order to increase their own vote, since many observers initially mistook the ADP's logo for that of the ALP. The ALP's logo is a map of [[Turkey]] with a sun rising from behind, which does not resemble any other party logo.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.haberradikal.com/siyaset/al-parti-alternatif-ve-degisim-nedir-al-parti-logosu-nasildir-ne-zaman-kurulmustur-h112620.html |title=AL Parti (Alternatif ve Değişim) nedir? Al Parti logosu nasıldır, ne zaman kurulmuştur? |access-date=2015-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211212531/http://www.haberradikal.com/siyaset/al-parti-alternatif-ve-degisim-nedir-al-parti-logosu-nasildir-ne-zaman-kurulmustur-h112620.html |archive-date=2015-02-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://www.ereglihaberleri.com/index.php/siyasi/item/24965-yerel-secimlerde-sark-kurnazligi.html Yerel seçimlerde şark kurnazlığı] ''Ereğli Haberleri'' {{dead link|date=March 2023}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Turkish political parties}}

[[Category:1998 establishments in Turkey]]
[[Category:Liberal conservative parties in Turkey]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1998]]