The DYP was widely considered the successor of both the AP and the Democrat Party (DP), active in Turkey's early multi-party period.

Demirel subsequently returned to the premiership in the period from 1991 to 1993, before securing the Presidency of Turkey that year.

Subsequently, both the DYP leadership and the premiership passed to Tansu Çiller, another prominent member of the party.

After then serving as a junior partner in several coalition governments, the party was wiped out of parliament in the 2002 general election, failing to pass the 10% electoral threshold required to win seats.

The new DP only polled 6% in the election, and remained out of the Grand National Assembly until 2018, when it received one seat on the Good Party list.