AKP (Justice and Development Party)

AKP (Justice and Development Party)
Name	Justice and Development Party
Native name	Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi
Founded	14 August 2001
Headquarters	Ankara
Country	Turkey

AKP (Justice and Development Party)

The Justice and Development Party is a major political party in Turkey founded in 2001 that has dominated Turkish national politics since 2002, overseeing administrations led by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Abdullah Gül, and coalition partners at various levels. The party emerged from the dissolution of prior Islamist and conservative movements such as the Welfare Party, Virtue Party, and elements of the Motherland Party and True Path Party, and has influenced institutions including the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the Presidency of Turkey, and the Constitutional Court of Turkey.

History

The party was established on 14 August 2001 by figures including Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Abdullah Gül after the closure of the Virtue Party and amid the political realignments following the 1997 postmodern coup (1997) and the 2001 Turkish economic crisis (2001). It won a landslide victory in the 2002 Turkish general election, 2002 displacing parties such as the Motherland Party and the Democratic Left Party. Subsequent milestones include the 2007 Turkish presidential election, 2007 crisis, the 2010 Turkish constitutional referendum, 2010, the 2013 Gezi Park protests, the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt (2016), and the 2017 Turkish constitutional referendum, 2017 that created an executive presidency. The party navigated relations with institutions like the Turkish Armed Forces, the Turkish judiciary, and international bodies such as the European Union and NATO.

Ideology and Political Positions

The party's platform blends currents traceable to the Welfare Party and the Democrat Party with references to market reforms enacted during the Ankara Consensus era and neoliberal reforms similar to policies seen in Washington Consensus contexts. Scholars debate its classification, situating it within conservatism, Islamism, democratization narratives, and populist frameworks akin to trends in Hungary and Poland. It has promoted policies on taxation, privatization, and infrastructure comparable to projects like the Istanbul New Airport and the Ankara-Istanbul high-speed railway, while advocating social initiatives resonant with welfare state adjustments and family-oriented programs championed by leaders such as Abdullah Gül.

Organization and Leadership

The party's structure centers on a central executive board and provincial organizations across Turkey's provinces including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa, and Adana. Prominent leaders have included Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Abdullah Gül, Binali Yıldırım, Ahmet Davutoğlu, and Mehmet Ali Şahin. Internal organs interface with institutions such as the Supreme Election Council (Turkey) and civil society groups including trade associations like the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey and labor organizations such as the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions. The party has fostered youth wings and women’s branches analogous to other major parties like the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

Electoral Performance

Electoral milestones include victory in the 2002 Turkish general election, 2002, reelection in the 2007 Turkish general election, 2007 and 2011 Turkish general election, 2011, and adaptation to the 2014 Turkish presidential election, 2014 which elevated Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the presidency. The party contested alliances such as the People's Alliance (Turkey) with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in later elections including the 2018 Turkish general election, 2018 and municipal contests like the 2019 Istanbul mayoral election, 2019 where it faced opponents from the Republican People's Party (CHP) including Ekrem İmamoğlu. Performance in provincial and municipal elections has affected control of local institutions such as the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality.

Domestic Policies and Governance

Policy initiatives have encompassed economic programs responding to episodes like the 2001 Turkish economic crisis (2001) and the 2018 Turkish currency and debt crisis, public works projects rivaling initiatives in China and Brazil, and reforms touching the education sector and healthcare systems comparable to models in France and Germany. The party pursued constitutional changes via the 2010 Turkish constitutional referendum, 2010 and the 2017 Turkish constitutional referendum, 2017, affecting institutions such as the Constitutional Court of Turkey and the Council of State (Turkey). Its tenure has impacted legal frameworks including anti-terrorism legislation and judicial appointments involving the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK).

Foreign Policy

Foreign policy under party leadership shifted Turkey's posture in arenas such as relations with the European Union, the United States, Russia, Syria, and Israel, and engaged in regional initiatives in the Eastern Mediterranean and Horn of Africa. Key episodes include involvement in the Syrian conflict following the Syrian civil war, military operations like Operation Euphrates Shield, cooperation and tensions with NATO, and diplomatic engagements with actors including Iran and Qatar. The party's approach combined strategic autonomy rhetoric with economic diplomacy visible in state visits and projects like energy pipelines linked to Russia and Azerbaijan.

Criticism and Controversies

The party has faced criticism over press freedom issues involving outlets such as Cumhuriyet and journalists like Can Dündar, alleged restrictions following the 2013 Gezi Park protests, the post-2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt (2016) purges impacting institutions including the Turkish Armed Forces and universities, and concerns raised by the European Court of Human Rights and human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Other controversies encompass corruption investigations such as those explored during the 2013 2013 corruption scandal, debates over separation of powers involving the Constitutional Court of Turkey, and electoral disputes adjudicated by the Supreme Election Council (Turkey).

Category:Political parties in Turkey