The Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which has dominated Turkish politics for a quarter of a century, is marking the 25th anniversary of its founding on August 14. Established in 2001, the party won national elections just 16 months later and has held power continuously since, a tenure its leadership describes as an exceptional feat in global political history.
In an essay published for the anniversary, the party’s secretary-general framed the milestone as the continuation of a long democratic struggle, invoking the memory of late Prime Minister Adnan Menderes and his allies, who they say sacrificed their lives for the nation’s democratic beliefs. The AK Party, he argued, owes its endurance to a “capacity for political translation” — the ability to hear society’s expectations and turn them into party programmes, budgets, and public policies.
The party’s rise is set against the backdrop of Turkey’s turbulent 1990s, a period marked by fragile coalition governments, economic crises, political violence, and the February 28 “post-modern coup” that forced a civilian government from power. The closures of the Welfare Party in 1998 and the Virtue Party in 2001 deepened concerns over representation, while a severe financial crisis hit the country in 2001. It was in this environment that the AK Party was founded, promising to overhaul the relationship between the state and its citizens.
Over the past 25 years, the party has overseen major changes, including the Health Transformation Program, which expanded access to healthcare, and the growth of a domestic defense industry producing armed drones and a national fighter jet. It has also championed technology initiatives such as TEKNOFEST and advocated for what it calls a value-oriented digital order that challenges the algorithmic practices of global tech giants.
Supporters credit the AK Party with modernizing governance, expanding public services, and raising Turkey’s international profile. Critics, however, remain divided over its record on democratic freedoms, pointing to restrictions on dissent and a concentration of power. As the party enters its next quarter-century, it continues to shape Turkey’s domestic politics and foreign policy, reflecting both its enduring legacy and the challenges it now faces.