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| Felicity Party | |
|---|---|
| Name | Felicity Party |
| Native name | Saadet Partisi |
| Country | Turkey |
| Founded | 20 July 2001 |
| Predecessor | Virtue Party |
| Ideology | Islamism, Conservatism, Turkish nationalism |
| Position | Right-wing |
| Headquarters | Ankara |
| Leader | Temel Karamollaoğlu |
| International | International Union of Muslim Scholars |
Felicity Party
The Felicity Party is a Turkish political party founded in 2001 as the successor to the banned Virtue Party and rooted in the tradition of the National Outlook movement associated with Necmettin Erbakan, Milli Görüş networks and activists from the late Ottoman and Republican eras. It has been active in Turkish electoral politics, civil society, and religiously oriented media, interacting with figures and organizations across the Turkish political spectrum such as Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Rashid Ghannouchi, Abdullah Gül, Devlet Bahçeli, and international actors including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the European Union during accession debates.
The party emerged after the closure of the Virtue Party by the Constitutional Court of Turkey, with founders from the Refah Partisi tradition including former ministers from cabinets led by Necmettin Erbakan and MPs who had served under the Welfare Party and Virtue Party. Early years involved legal reorganizations similar to those affecting Justice and Development Party (AKP) founders, debates between reformists and traditionalists identical to splits seen in movements linked to Milli Görüş and the 1990s coalition politics involving Mesut Yılmaz and Tansu Çiller. Internal leadership contests and electoral alliances have connected the party to municipal campaigns in Istanbul, provincial contests in Konya, and national debates during the 2007 and 2011 general elections; it also engaged in coalitions and dialogues with parties such as Nationalist Movement Party and smaller Islamist groups.
The platform draws on Islamism and Conservatism influenced by the writings of Necmettin Erbakan, articulating positions on family law, religious education, economic independence, and cultural identity similar to themes in Milli Görüş literature. Policy statements reference positions on EU accession negotiations with the European Commission and human rights frameworks discussed with the Council of Europe, while advocating economic policies that echo ideas from thinkers such as Nizamülmülk in historical references and contemporary economists who critique neoliberalism like Veblen in translated debates. The party emphasizes national sovereignty in relation to NATO deployments, energy projects involving Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline, and infrastructure initiatives akin to projects endorsed by governments across Ankara administrations.
Organizationally, the party maintains provincial branches across provinces such as Konya Province, İzmir, Ankara Province, and regional offices in cities like Antalya and Adana. Leadership has included figures who previously served in cabinets or as municipal mayors influenced by networks around Necmettin Erbakan and academicians from institutions like Ankara University and Istanbul University. Internal governance follows statutes resembling regulations administered by the Supreme Election Council (YSK) and reporting requirements to Turkey’s Ministry of Interior (Turkey), with youth wings, women’s assemblies, and local councils that mirror organizational structures in parties like Republican People's Party and Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Electoral results have varied: the party competed in parliamentary elections alongside lists and independent candidacies, and its vote shares have fluctuated in contests against Justice and Development Party (AKP), Republican People's Party (CHP), and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). It has contested municipal elections in major municipalities including Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and rural districts with outcomes compared in analyses that also feature parties like Democratic Left Party and Good Party. The party's performance in European Parliament-related discussions and local by-elections has prompted strategic alliances reminiscent of past coalitions such as those formed during the 1999 election cycle with smaller conservative groupings.
Domestically the party advocates educational reforms emphasizing religious curricula in institutions like İmam Hatip schools, legal changes interacting with the Constitution of Turkey on matters of conscience and religious expression, and social policies promoting family values often debated alongside legislators from AKP and MHP. Economic proposals prioritize industrial policies, agricultural supports in regions such as Konya Plain, and critiques of privatization implemented under administrations led by Turgut Özal-era reformers. Health and welfare positions have interacted with state institutions such as the Ministry of Health (Turkey) and welfare NGOs linked to charity networks in provinces including Samsun and Hatay.
In foreign policy the party expresses solidarity with populations in conflicts involving entities like Palestine and Bosnia and Herzegovina, advocates diplomatic stances toward Israel and Armenia shaped by historical controversies, and supports ties with Muslim-majority states such as Turkey–Qatar relations and Turkey–Saudi Arabia relations while critiquing certain European Union conditionalities. It has engaged in dialogue with transnational Islamic organizations, participated in conferences involving scholars associated with International Union of Muslim Scholars, and positioned itself on NATO-related debates alongside Turkish foreign policy actors including former diplomats from Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Turkey).
Critics have targeted the party over alleged ties to conservative religious networks, its stance on secularism as interpreted under the Separation of powers in Turkey debates, and responses to court rulings such as those by the Constitutional Court of Turkey that affected predecessor parties. Commentators from media outlets connected to Doğan Media Group and Evrensel have debated its positions relative to civil liberties advocated by organizations like Human Rights Association (İHD). Accusations have arisen concerning electoral strategy, coalition behavior with nationalist actors, and involvement in contentious policy debates including headscarf regulations litigated in the European Court of Human Rights and domestic courts.
Category:Political parties in Turkey