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Welfare Party
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Welfare Party

political party, Turkey
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Also known as: Refah Partisi, WP
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Article History
Quick Facts
Turkish:
Refah Partisi
Date:
1983 - January 1998
Areas Of Involvement:
Islam

Welfare Party, Turkish political party noted for its Islamic orientation. It was founded in 1983 by Necmettin Erbakan. After doing well in local elections in the early 1990s, it won nearly one-third of the seats (the largest single bloc) in the 1995 national legislative elections, becoming the first religious party in Turkey to win a general election. It took office in 1996 at the head of a new coalition, after a centre-right coalition formed to oppose it collapsed after a few months. The party’s pro-Islamist policies brought it into conflict with the army and other secular elements in the country, and it left power in 1997. It was subsequently banned.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Laura Etheredge.