According to Islam and Islamic Groups, the Refah Partisi, or Welfare Party in English, was founded in 1983 as a successor to the National Order Party (NOP) established in 1971 and disbanded in May of that year and the National Salvation Party (NSP) formed in October 1972 and dissolved in 1980 (1992, 256).

The same source states that the Welfare Party is the most important Islamic party in Turkey, and according to The Economist, it is "the only big party whose share of the vote has grown recently" (1992, 256; 11-17 Feb. 1995, 46-47).

According to Political Handbook of the World: 1994-1995, the Welfare Party won the mayoralties of both Istanbul and Ankara during the 27 March 1994 local elections (1995, 892). The current leaders of the party are Necmettin Erbakan, who is the former NSP leader, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is also the current mayor of Istanbul (ibid.). For further information on the above-mentioned subject, please refer to the attached documents.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

The Economist [London]. 11-17 February 1995. "Turkey: Things Fall Apart."

Islam and Islamic Groups: A Worldwide Reference Guide. 1992. Edited by Farzana Shaikh. London: Longman Group UK.

Political Handbook of the World: 1994-1995. 1995. Edited by Arthur S. Banks. Binghamton, NY: CSA Publications.

Agence France Presse (AFP). 5 June 1995. "Turquie-élections: Parti de Mme Ciller remporte des élections municipales partielles." (NEXIS)

_____. 13 December 1994. "Islamic Militants in Germany Sending Arms to Algeria: Report." (NEXIS)

The Christian Science Monitor. 3 April 1995. Gerald Robbins. "Fundamental Trouble for Secular Turkey?" (NEXIS)

The Economist [London]. 11-17 February 1995. "Turkey: Things Fall Apart," pp. 46-47.

Islam and Islamic Groups: A Worldwide Reference Guide. 1992. Edited by Farzana Shaikh. London: Longman Group UK, p. 256.

Libération [Paris]. 19 May 1995. "Le gouvernement turc se divise sur la laïcité," p. 13.

_____. 3 March 1995. "Ramadan sous tension sur des campus universitaire turcs," p. 11.

The Nation. 28 June 1986. Dilip Hiro. "Post Secularism; The Islamic Wave Hits Turkey." (NEXIS)

Political Handbook of the World: 1994-1995. 1995. Edited by Arthur S. Banks. Binghamton, NY: CSA Publications, p. 892.

Political Parties of the World. 1988. 3rd ed. Edited by Alan J. Day. Chicago: St. James Press, p. 560.