YRP 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. 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. 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. Following the incident, the party protested
Sweden in front of the Swedish Consulate-General in Istanbul. Initially a critic of the
Justice and Development Party (AKP), in 2023 the party announced Fatih Erbakan's candidacy for the
presidential election. However, the party later backpedaled and instead announced their support for
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, joining the
People's Alliance on March 24, 2023. The party ran under their own list at the
parliamentary elections, securing five seats at the
Grand National Assembly. Prior to the 2023 elections, Erbakan was supportive of Turkish government's efforts to improve relations with Egypt and the UAE. Shortly after the elections, Erbakan changed his position again, leaving the People's Alliance due, accusing the AKP of ignoring its demands including lowering interest rates, outlawing adultery and removing rules on gender equality. Erbakan has repeatedly criticized Erdogan's government over its pragmatism in regards to not embargoing Israel completely, and criticizes government's efforts to increase relations with Arab regimes like Egypt and the UAE. The party achieved significant electoral success in the
2024 local elections, winning 6.2 percent of the vote, just behind the
Republican People's Party (CHP) and AKP. == Ideology and political positions ==