Necmettin Erbakan is the former Chairman of the Felicity (Saadet) Party, the Prime Minister of the 54th Government and the leader of the National Vision (Milli Görüş) movement. The 4 political parties founded by Prof. Dr. Necmettin Erbakan were closed. His 5th party, the Saadet Party, still pursues politics along with the same lines.
Even when we do a little research on what, why and when he said what, why and when he did, we see that the name of Prof. Dr. Necmettin Erbakan is a great achievement for Turkey and the world. We realize that National Vision is a “giant project of the future of the world” rather than a political movement with its founding leader Erbakan, "We work not for elections, but for future generations." With the foresight to report many events taking place today in Turkey years ago, the following phrase, which is now in the language, has become the phrase that best describes Erbakan: “Erbakan was right.”
“WE WORK FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, NOT FOR ELECTIONS”
His goal is to feed the poor, protect the orphan and be on the side of the oppressed. Necmettin Erbakan, who is a staunch defender of the struggle against the Zionism, Imperialism and Capitalism has taken great risks for the country, nation and ummah when appropriate, and has shown the courageous and clearest stance. If need be, he has paid the price himself alone, and he has managed to stand upright in the last half century, when Zionist Imperialism captured everyone. He wanted the happiness of not only Islamic countries, but the whole world, as the Qur’an ordered.
WHO IS NECMETTIN ERBAKAN?
Necmettin Erbakan was born on October 29, 1926 in Turkey's Sinop province. Necmettin Erbakan, who is the eldest of 4 children of Sinop Judge Deputy Mr. Mehmet Sabri and Mrs. Kamer, is based on the Circassian mother (in his own words) and the Kozanoğlu Principality on his father’s side. Necmettin Erbakan, who started primary school in Kayseri province, continued his education in Trabzon province due to his father’s appointment. Erbakan who started his secondary education in Istanbul Boys’ High School in 1937, finished with first place in 1943. Although he gained the right to enter the university without an exam due to his success, he did not use this right and passed the exam with high scores.
EDUCATIONAL LIFE OF ERBAKAN HODJA
Necmettin Erbakan, who started Istanbul Technical University with the students one year before him, included important names in Turkish politics, Süleyman Demirel and Turgut Özal, among his term friends. Necmettin Erbakan, who graduated from Istanbul Technical University Faculty of Machinery in 1948, gave lectures at the Motors Chair of the same faculty as an assistant in the same year. (This task, performed only by those with the title of professor and associate professor, is the reward for Erbakan’s success.)
NECMETTIN ERBAKAN: THE FIRST TURKISH SCIENTIST IN GERMANY
Erbakan, who did his doctorate at Aachen Technical University in Germany, where he was sent by Istanbul Technical University in 1951, prepared a report in the light of research on the fact that engines consume less fuel. He became an associate professor at the age of 27 at Istanbul Technical University by giving his associate professorship thesis along with the aforementioned report. This thesis, which mathematically explains how the fuel injected in diesel engines is ignited, had a broad repercussion in the German scientific community. Upon the publication of the thesis, he was invited to Germany by the general manager of Deutz Engine Factories, the largest engine factory in Germany at that time, to conduct research on the engines of the Germans’ famous Leopard tanks. Upon the request of the German Ministry of Economy to take part in the delegation assigned to conduct research, he had the opportunity to visit and examine the heavy industry factories in Germany. After his military service between May 1954 and October 1955, he returned to the university. Between 1956-1963, he became the name that realized the engine production by establishing "Gümüş Motor", which will produce the first domestic engine with 200 partners. He received his professorship in 1965. He was elected as the General Secretary of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) in 1967. In the same year, he got married Nermin Saatçioğlu. He had three children from this marriage (Zeynep-1968, Elif-1974, and Fatih-1978). During his duty as TOBB Secretary General, Necmettin Erbakan, who stood out with his defense of traders and small industrialists in Anatolia against big industrialists and traders, was elected as TOBB Chairman on May 25, 1969. However, he had to resign from his post on August 8, 1969, as the Justice Party canceled the elections.
NATIONAL ORDER PARTY
Because the Justice (Adalet) Party’s candidacy for parliamentary candidate in 1969 was vetoed by Süleyman Demirel, he became a deputy in the elections so that he can run as an independent candidate by getting as much enough votes for 2 deputies can collect. He founded the National Order Party (MNP) on January 17, 1970, together with 17 of his friends. His party was closed on May 20, 1971, with a lawsuit filed on the allegation that it “conducted anti-secular activities” after the March 12 military intervention.
THE COALITION OF NATIONAL SALVATION PARTY (MSP) AND REPUBLICAN PEOPLE’S PARTY (CHP)
Necmettin Erbakan who founded the National Salvation Party (MSP) on October 11, 1972, with MNP cadres, entered the Parliament by winning 48 deputies with 12 percents of the votes in the elections of 14 October 1973. Immediately after the elections, he formed the CHP-MSP coalition with CHP Chairman Bülent Ecevit. Necmettin Erbakan, who did not remain silent about the persecution of our compatriots in Cyprus, during the coalition government, played an active role in the Cyprus Peace Operation. During the operation, Bülent Ecevit opposed Necmettin Erbakan who argued that all of Cyprus should be taken, with abandoning the operation was stayed within the present borders. This friction in the coalition later became the biggest factor that ended the partnership.
SEPTEMBER 12, 1980 COUP AND 'POLITICAL BAN' DAYS
Necmettin Erbakan, who was the state minister and deputy prime minister in the First Nationalist Front Government -Justice Party (AP), National Salvation Party(MSP), Nationalist Movement Party(MHP) and Republican Trust Party (CGP)- established in March 1975, won 24 deputies in the 1977 General Elections with MSP. In July 1977, Necmettin Erbakan again assumed the duties of state minister and deputy prime minister in the Second Nationalist Front, which was formed by the AP, MSP and MHP coalition. MSP, which supported the government established by the Justice Party in November 1979, made a big impression with the Quds Meeting held in Konya province on September 6, 1980. While the MSP was closed after the military coup of September 12, 1980, the Quds Meeting was cited as the reason for the closure. It was even claimed that it was one of the reasons for the coup. Necmettin Erbakan, who was detained in İzmir Uzunada for a while during the military coup, was tried together with 21 MSP executives. Given judgement was acquitted by the Military Court of Appeals in 1983. Meanwhile, he was banned from politics for 10 years. Returning to politics with the popular vote on September 6, 1987, Necmettin Erbakan was elected as the leader of the Welfare Party (RP) on October 11, 1987. In the 1991 elections in which the Welfare Party (RP) allied with the Nationalist Labour Party and the Reformist Democracy Party, Erbakan became Konya Deputy again.
THE SUCCESS OF REFAH-YOL GOVERNMENT DISTURBED EVIL FORCES
In the 1995 elections, which the National Vision Movement (Milli Görüş Hareketi) won a great victory, the Welfare (Refah) Party became the first party with 21,37 percent of the votes and 158 deputies. After those elections, the coalition government formed between the True Path Party (DYP) and the Motherland Party (ANAP) was short-lived. Subsequently, the Welfare Party-True Path Party coalition was formed. Necmettin Erbakan, who was the Prime Minister in the established Refahyol government, was in power for about 1 year with the Refahyol government that started on June 28, 1996. While the Turkish economy grew by 7,5 percent in this short time, its Gross National Product (GSMH) increased from 11,96 per thousand of the world total to 12,37 per thousand. Among the reforms made during the Refahyol era, the establishment of a pool system among public institutions, record raise for civil servants, retirees and workers, and the D-8 formation, which brought together 8 of the developing countries those have Muslim population, are known. Necmettin Erbakan, who was forced to resign after the debates on secularism and Kemalism and the post-modern coup of February 28, was the name that almost single-handedly opposed this attempt. Necmettin Erbakan, who submitted his resignation on 30 June 1997 for his coalition partner DYP to take the prime minister’s seat as per the protocol, again faced the veto of Süleyman Demirel. By showing a contrary stance, President Süleyman Demirel gave the task of forming the government to Mesut Yılmaz, Chairman of the Motherland Party, instead of DYP Chairwoman Tansu Çiller. Thus, the 55th Government was formed by the coalition of ANAP, Democratic Left Party (DSP) and Democrat Turkey Party.
"VIRTUE" HIS FOURTH PARTY
The case of closing the Welfare Party (RP) in the February 28 postmodern coup was concluded by the Constitutional Court on January 16, 1998. It was decided to close the Welfare Party and to ban 6 people including Necmettin Erbakan, from politics for 5 years. Recai Kutan became the new leader of the Virtue Party, the fourth party of the National Vision Movement, which was previously established under the chairmanship of İsmail Alptekin, due to the closure case. Realizing that they could not block the National Vision Movement with party closures, the evil forces tried to hollow out the Virtue Party this time. At the first congress of the party, an opposition wing to the party administration emerged. While the desired result could not be achieved in the congress, the decision of the Constitutional Court to close in June 2001 brought about the division.
STRUGGLING UNTIL THE LAST BREATH…
Necmettin Erbakan Hodja’s five-year ban on politics ended in February 2003, and the days of the Chairmanship of the Felicity (Saadet) Party began in May 2003. As a result of a lawsuit filed, Erbakan was forced to resign from his position as the Chairman of the Felicity Party on January 30, 2004. It was highly appreciated that Necmettin Erbakan, who was re-elected as the Chairman of the Saadet Party on October 17, 2010, traveled all over the country and continued to talk about his case despite his age. Necmettin Erbakan, who did not interrupt his studies on party and country issues until the day he passed away, although his health condition worsened, was treated at the hospital on January 19, 2011 due to recurrent vascular inflammation in his foot. Erbakan, who was discharged later, was taken to the intensive care unit in the hospital where he was taken due to respiratory and heart failure. Despite all the treatments, he passed away on February 27, 2011 due to respiratory failure, heart and multiple organ failure.
MILLIONS GATHERED TO BID FAREWELL TO ERBAKAN HODJA
Due to his will, no state ceremony was held for him, and a funeral prayer was held on Tuesday, March 1, 2011, first in Ankara Hadji Bayram Mosque and then in Fatih Mosque in Istanbul. The funeral prayer was attended by President Abdullah Gül, the speaker of the parliament, the Prime Minister, ministers, political party leaders, deputies, members of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), ambassadors, mayors and people from all walks of life, as well as community and movement leaders or representatives from 60 countries. More than two millions people attended the cortege where Necmettin Erbakan was taken to his family cemetery. Soil was brought to Necmettin Erbakan’s grave from various regions of Turkey, Al-Quds, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the grave of Bosnian leader Alija Izetbegović by his supporters.