Political party in Turkey
The New Welfare Party (Turkish: Yeniden Refah Partisi, YRP) is a political party in Turkey, founded on 23 November 2018.[7] The party positions itself as the successor to the Welfare Party (Turkish: Refah Partisi), which was a prominent Islamist political party in the 1990s.[8] The New Welfare Party aims to represent conservative democratic values, advocating for a blend of Islamic principles with modern Turkish democracy.[9]
History
Yeniden Refah Partisi was established by Fatih Erbakan, who aimed to revive the legacy of the original Welfare Party, which had been a significant political force in Turkey before its closure by the Constitutional Court in 1998 for activities against the principle of secularism.[10] The founding of the New Welfare Party reflects an effort to re-enter the political scene with a reformed agenda that complies with the secular and democratic framework of the Turkish Republic while retaining a focus on Islamic values.[11]
The New Welfare Party's founder Fatih Erbakan is the son of the late Turkish prime minister Necmettin Erbakan who was the founder of the original Welfare Party and the inspiration for the Millî Görüş ideology.[12]
Ideology
The party's ideology is rooted in conservative democracy, with a strong emphasis on Islamic principles. It advocates for social justice, economic development, and the integration of traditional values with contemporary governance. The party also emphasizes the importance of family, education, and positive youth development, aiming to address the social and economic challenges facing Turkey in the 21st century.
Yeniden Refah Partisi positions itself as a centrist party with a conservative orientation. It seeks to attract voters from the traditionalist segments of society, as well as those disillusioned with the secular policies of mainstream Turkish political parties such as the Republican People's Party.
The party was founded with the slogan "We are here for our nation".[13][14][15] They specified that their main goals are "First morality and spirituality, then to design the new world order under the leadership of Turkey."[16]
Fatih Erbakan has stated that the new party would replace the current system by a new presidential system, and that returning to a parliamentary system would be harmful. They would also take a strong anti-Zionist position like their predecessor.[17]
The party is against LGBT rights, and has declared that LGBT people are "a perversion banned in every religion".[18] The party's main aim[citation needed] is lifting a law that protects women and children against domestic violence.[19][20]
Activities
On 21 January 2023, leader of the far-right Danish political party Stram Kurs, Rasmus Paludan was permitted to burn a Quran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.[21] Following the incident, the party protested Sweden in front of the Swedish Consulate-General in Istanbul.[22]
Initially a critic of the AKP regime,[23] in 2023 the party announced Fatih Erbakan's candidacy for the presidential election.[24] However, the party later backtracked and instead joined the People's Alliance on March 24, 2023.[25] Erbakan then changed his position again, leaving the People's alliance shortly after the election in an attempt to gain Erdogan's Islamist conservative base. Erbakan has repeatedly criticized Erdogan's government over its pragmatism in regards to not embargoing Israel completely or engaging with Arab regimes like Egypt.
Controversies
The chairperson and founder of the newly party, Fatih Erbakan, is also an open supporter of the anti-vax movement during the COVID Pandemic in Turkey. He claimed COVID-19 vaccines could lead to people giving birth to "half-human, half-monkey" children.[26]
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