The founding chairman of the Felicity Party, Recai Kutan, passed away at the age of 94.

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Recai Kutan, the founding chairman of the Saadet Party, was also a close associate of Necmettin Erbakan. It has been reported that 94-year-old Recai Kutan has passed away today.

In a message shared from the official X account of the Saadet Party, it was stated, "Our Founding Chairman of the Saadet Party, Member of the High Advisory Board, and President of ESAM, our esteemed elder Recai Kutan has passed away. May our nation and community be consoled."

WHO IS RECAI KUTAN?

Mehmet Recai Kutan was born in 1930 in Malatya. He completed his primary, secondary, and high school education there. He graduated from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Istanbul Technical University. In 1953, he started working at the State Hydraulic Works (DSI).

In 1969, he worked as the general manager at the Turkish Engineering Consultancy and Contracting Institution. Later, he entered politics and served as the deputy chairman of the National Salvation Party (MSP). He became a member of parliament for Malatya from MSP in the 1977 elections. During the 1977 coalition government, he served as the Minister of Reconstruction and Settlement. He was arrested during the military coup on September 12, 1980, and spent nine and a half months in prison. He was sentenced to 2 years in prison by a military court.

However, he was acquitted after the Supreme Court overturned the decision. After his release, he joined the Welfare Party (RP) in 1983. Following the closure of the RP, he moved to the Virtue Party. In 2001, he participated in the establishment of the Saadet Party (SP) and took on the role of chairman. On October 26, 2008, he handed over his duties to Numan Kurtulmuş.