White Party (Azerbaijan)

The party was established in 1993 by Kerar Abilov [az] as the United Azerbaijan Party. Abilov contested the presidential elections that year, finishing second but with only 40,000 votes to the 3.9 million claimed to have been received by incumbent president Heydar Aliyev.^[1]

In 2016 Tural Abbaslı [az] left the Musavat party and joined United Azerbaijan. In a party congress held on 26 June 2016 the party's name was changed to the White Party and Abbaslı was elected as chairman. However, the name change was not recognised by the Ministry of Justice until 2020. The party contested the 2020 parliamentary elections under its original name, receiving 0.3% of the vote and failing to win a seat.

In the 2024 parliamentary elections the party received 0.6% of the vote, again failing to win a seat. The party attributed this to manipulations and violations of electoral procedures.^[2]

Tural Abbasli, who has been leading the "Ağ Partiya" since 2016, is known for his conservative views. He is active in the media space and frequently criticizes the current government. Currently, he is considered one of the most influential opposition figures. His popularity is especially evident on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, where his total number of followers exceeds half a million, a record among all opposition representatives. Furthermore, the number of positive comments and supportive feedback about his activities continues to grow, further strengthening his position in public perception.^[3]

Supporting Local Production: The party advocates for supporting local producers through subsidies, tax incentives, and protective measures to reduce dependency on imports and promote domestic economic growth.

Creating Job Opportunities: It supports initiatives to increase employment opportunities in sectors related to traditional crafts, agriculture, and small businesses.

Fighting Corruption: The party is reported to adopt a strict anti-corruption policy.^[4]