National Democratic Party of Azerbaijan Holds Founding Conference in Baku

The inaugural gathering of the National Democratic Party of Azerbaijan (PDPA) took place in Baku on January 13, with 54 participants in attendance. While the party is informally known as "Boz Gurd" or grey wolves, the PDPA clarified that this moniker is not official. The conference, chaired by Tufan Kyarim, also served as a precursor to the upcoming party congress, where the election of a chairman is anticipated.

A key objective of the conference was to document the PDPA's existence, laying the groundwork for the submission of registration documents to the Ministry of Justice in compliance with the recently enacted "On Political Parties" law of 2023.

Founded in 1993 by the then Minister of Internal Affairs, Iskander Hamidov, the PDPA traces its roots back to a period when its members actively participated in the first Karabakh War. The party aligns itself with the ideals of Iskander Hamidov's original vision. Despite facing challenges such as the collapse of the Popular Front government, the arrest, and conviction of Hamidov, the PDPA asserts that it has maintained its principles and operational continuity.

The Azerbaijani "grey wolves" identify as ideological allies of the Turkish Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). In Turkey, the official name for the group is Idealists, established in the late 1960s under the guidance of Colonel Alparslan Turkesh and supported by the MHP. The party's political aspiration centers around the creation of a confederation uniting all Turkic countries and peoples, along with the preservation of the Turkic identity within their respective states.

While not officially recognized, the "Grey Wolves" in Turkey align themselves with President Recep Erdogan's Idealists. Erdogan, in a notable gesture at a rally in March 2018, displayed the "grey wolves" hand sign, symbolized by the middle and ring fingers forming a 'V' shape, reduced to the thumb.