The Felicity Party (Turkish: Saadet Partisi) is a Turkish political party founded in 2001. It is mainly supported by conservative Muslims in Turkey.
It was founded on 20 July 2001 after the Virtue Party (FP) was banned by the Constitutional Court. While the party's reformist wing formed the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the hardliners founded the Felicity Party. Although an Islamist party, its policy platform covers the whole span of political issues in Turkey.
The Felicity Party has not been particularly successful electorally, polling just 2.5% of the vote in the 3 November 2002 general elections, thereby failing to pass the 10% threshold necessary to gain representation in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. It was slightly more successful in the local elections of 29 March 2004, winning 4.1% of the vote and a number of mayoralties, although none of any particular significance. In the 2011 election they were reduced to 1.24% on the vote. During the period, Recai Kutan (20 July 2001 – 11 May 2003 and again 30 January 2004 – 29 March 2008), Necmettin Erbakan (11 May 2003 – 30 January 2004 and again from 17 October 2010 till his death on 27 February 2011) and Numan Kurtulmuş (26 October 2008 – 1 October 2010) were leaders.
The Felicity Party's vote has been weakened by the success of the moderately Islamic Justice and Development Party government, although it has repeatedly condemned the Turkish government's desire to join the European Union, military ties with Israel and the United States. It has argued that Turkey must adapt its military and foreign policy stance to meet what it argues are increasing threats coming from the West to all Muslim countries.
The Felicity Party's policy platform is based strongly around Erbakan's ideas and philosophy.
The Felicity Party works both as a political party and an enormous social organization. It has party branches in nearly every discrict, small town and city in the country. In the past it has organized demonstrations on a wide range of issues, often involving tens of thousands of participants. Thousands of protesters joined SP organized demonstrations against the 2004 attack on Fallujah, against the depictions of the Prophet Muhammed in newspapers around the world, and most recently against Israel's invasion in Gaza during 2008–2009 conflict.
Famous quotes containing the words felicity and/or party:
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