The Social policy practices of the True Path Party

This study aims to examine the True Path Party's (DYP) social policy approach from a historical and ideological perspective. Founded in 1983, the DYP, a center-right party that continues the tradition of the Democrat Party (DP) and the Justice Party (AP), has shaped its social policies with the goal of establishing a balance between a market economy and social welfare. The party has diversified its social policy practices under different leadership periods. During the Süleyman Demirel era, rural development, agricultural support, infrastructure projects, and education investments came to the forefront. During the Tansu Çiller era, the impact of economic crises increased the role of the private sector in social services, but economic instability weakened the sustainability of social policies. Under Mehmet Ağar's leadership, a democratization and human rights-based approach was adopted within the framework of the European Union harmonization process, but the party's loss of political power limited the applicability of these policies. In education, the DYP made efforts to ensure equal opportunities in rural areas, but economic conditions limited the success of these initiatives. In healthcare, the goal was to expand services to rural areas. Although private sector cooperation was increased during Çiller's term, this negatively impacted the equitable distribution of public services. Pension reforms and social assistance programs were introduced in social security, but due to a lack of financial resources, lasting results were not achieved. The DYP's social policy approach was based on a search for a balance between a market economy and rural development; however, economic crises, political instability, and market-oriented reforms destabilized the party's social policies. This study aims to contribute to the history of social policy in Turkey by evaluating the DYP's social policy practices within a historical framework.