refah

Refah is a Turkish word meaning prosperity or welfare, and it is used in various contexts in Turkish-speaking communities. In Turkish political history, the term is most closely associated with the Welfare Party (Refah Partisi), a conservative Islamist party active from 1983 to 1998. The party grew out of the Milli Görüş (National Vision) movement and was led by Necmettin Erbakan. Its platform combined social welfare programs, economic state-led development, and an independent foreign policy aligned with developing nations and Muslim-majority countries.

In the 1995 elections, the Welfare Party won the plurality of votes and entered government in a coalition with the True Path Party. Erbakan served as prime minister from 1996 to 1997. The military-backed secular establishment criticized the party’s agenda, culminating in the 28 February 1997 process, after which Erbakan resigned under pressure.

In 1998 the Constitutional Court closed the Welfare Party for violating the secular constitution, banning it and transferring its assets. The party's political lineage continued through the Fazilet Party (Virtue Party), founded in 1997 and later banned in 2001, with many former members founding the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2001, which has led the Turkish government since 2002.

Outside Turkey, Refah in its literal sense remains a common term in several languages for prosperity or welfare, and the name has been used by various community and charitable organizations.