Turkey's AK Party Turns 25: A Journey of Renewal and Global Reach

On August 14, 2001, Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AK) was officially established, marking the rebirth of a long-standing civilizational vision on the modern political scene. Just 16 months later, the party came to power with widespread public support and has maintained continuous stability for 25 years—a rare achievement in world political history.

The strength behind this stability stems from the fact that the AK Party is not a rootless political organization. The party inherits the democratic struggle of the late Prime Minister Adnan Menderes and his comrades, who sacrificed for the nation's beliefs during the era of single-party rule. The towering tree that party chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has cultivated has become a symbol of this immense historical legacy, giving breath to the country and oppressed regions alike.

The ability to overcome successive global and national crises with support from various segments of society over 25 years can be explained by the concept of "political translation capacity"—the process of accurately listening to society's needs and expectations, then transforming them into viable programs, budgets, and public policies. The AK Party has built a massive translation mechanism, turning seemingly disparate experiences into shared problems and solutions.

To understand the scale of this transformation, one must look back at Turkey in the 1990s. It was a "lost decade" marked by fragile political coalitions lasting only months, severe economic crises, unsolved assassinations, and waves of terrorism threatening citizens' lives. Although voter turnout in parliamentary elections during that period reached 87%, this high political engagement could not translate into stable governance capacity when no party won a majority of seats to form a government.

The closure of the Refah Party in 1998 and the Fazilet Party in 2001 through judicial rulings created a deep crisis in the continuity of legitimate representation channels for the people. The year 2001 became a historic milestone as Turkey faced economic bankruptcy, political fragmentation, and constitutional rights that existed only on paper. Inheriting this shattered political and economic legacy, the AK Party built one of the world's most experienced cadres across fields from security and economy to foreign policy, creating a "game-changing" political style.

The core of this political style is breaking the mindset of "the state commands citizens," replacing it with the principle of "the state serves the nation." The AK Party has dismantled the cold walls between the state and the people, turning the nation's red lines into the government's red lines. The silent majority, once treated as "tenants" in their own home, has confidently risen to become true "homeowners" of the country. With over 12 million members, the AK Party is considered the world's largest and most dynamic political school.

The 25-year journey of the AK Party is marked by "silent revolutions" in institutions, such as the Health Transformation Program or the production of fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the defense industry. Turkey also introduced a new vision for technology: opposing the algorithmic exploitation by global digital giants and advocating a technological order that places human values, privacy, and family at the center. TEKNOFEST is not just a technology fair but a ritual expressing the confidence of a generation—those once manipulated in past coups—now building an independent and ethical technological future.

One of the greatest outcomes of the independent will is the historic fight against terrorism under the slogan "Terror-Free Turkey." External formulas have been discarded; terrorism has been stifled at its source; the dirty corridors trying to establish at the borders have been shattered by the "Turkish Model." A Turkey completely free of terrorism is said to have hindered Israel's expansionist ambitions, becoming the greatest hope for the Palestinian cause, Jerusalem, and the oppressed in Gaza.

Viewing democracy as an unshakable value, the AK Party permanently closed the dark period of guardianship that began on May 27, 1960, during the July 15 night when people lay down before tanks and faced gun barrels. This democratic resilience has turned Turkey into a pioneer of a global conscience movement. President Erdogan's statement "The world is bigger than five!" has become the "Erdogan Doctrine," shaping the map of human conscience against those who consider themselves global masters. The struggle for justice—reflected in the Gaza tragedy, baby Aylan washed ashore, or the boy reciting the Quran with his last breath under the rubble—is a clear sign of the determination to protect the rights of the innocent in international diplomacy.

Today, Turkey is no longer a passive ally in global politics but has risen to become an actor that redefines the rules of the international system, providing solutions to geopolitical crises and navigating diplomatic shifts on its own terms. With a 25-year legacy of experience and a forward-looking vision, the AK Party aims to build the "Turkish Century" on the axis of justice, compassion, and sustainable peace, under the leadership of President Erdogan—one of the world's most experienced heads of state—guiding the country toward new goals in the coming century.

This article reflects the author's views and does not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of Al Jazeera.