the military carried out a full-scale coup, suppressing all political parties, including Demirel's AP. Early history (1983–1991) In 1983, Demirel created the True Path Party (, DYP), the successor of the AP – still conservative, but now with a secular-leaning policy instead of an religious-leaning one. Even so, the military and conservative governments banned the new party, and the DYP was declared illegal and its members were persecuted. Finally, in 1987, the party was legalized, and entered Turkish politics for the first time. It was hugely successful. DYP in government (1991–1997) In the 1991 general elections, the DYP defeated the Motherland Party (, ANAP) and the Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP), forming a coalition government with the SHP. Süleyman Demirel became Prime Minister once again. After Demirel was elected Turkey's 9th President, following the death of Turgut Özal, the party leadership was taken over by Tansu Çiller, who became the country's first woman Prime Minister. In 1995 the coalition with the SHP, now merged with the Republican People's Party (CHP), collapsed. After the December 1995 elections, the weakened DYP formed first a coalition with ANAP, led by Mesut Yılmaz. Then, in June 1996, the DYP switched allegiances to form Turkey's first Islamist government with the Welfare Party's leader Necmettin Erbakan. DYP in opposition (1999–2007) In 1997, with the so-called "post-modern coup", the military effected the RP-DYP government's resignation. In the meantime, the DYP had been weakened by the effects of the Susurluk scandal. DYP and others expected to form a government under Çiller, but President Süleyman Demirel asked ANAP leader Mesut Yılmaz to form the new government instead, and the DYP was not included. In 1998 the DYP took a turn for the worse. The DYP then had heavy recruitment among police intelligence. The DYP secured 9.55% of the vote in the November 2002 general election, slightly under the 10% election threshold to enter parliament. However, a number of independents later joined the party, and, in November 2004, they had 4 seats in Turkey's 549-seat parliament. The figure hardly made the DYP a driving force in Turkish politics, but it remained Turkey's third largest party and particularly influential in rural areas. Tansu Çiller resigned as party leader following the 2002 election defeat, eventually being replaced by Mehmet Ağar. Democrat Party (2007–present) On 5 May 2007 it was announced that DYP and the Motherland Party (ANAP) would merge to form the