ABSTRACT
Known for its instability, fragmentation, and high electoral volatility, the Turkish party system has shown signs of stabilization since the arrival of the allegedly ‘Islamist’ 1 Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, or AKP) on the political scene in August 2001. In the November 2002 elections – just 14 months after its establishment – the AKP won an overwhelming victory, winning 363 seats in Turkey’s 550-seat parliament for its 35 percent share of votes. Subsequently the AKP steadily increased its share of votes to 46 percent in the 2004 country-wide local elections and to 47 percent in the 2007 general elections. In 2009, the party appeared to face a setback when its share of votes declined to 38 percent in the 2009 country-wide local elections. However, the AKP still maintained its top position by a wide margin of 15 percent. In fact, the 49.7 percent of the votes it has received in the 2011 general elections have once again confirmed the trend of increase in the AKP’s votes. It could, therefore, be suggested that the AKP has been the predominant political party of Turkey from its inception. Moreover, contrary to the experience of previous government parties in Turkey, the AKP seems not to be affected by the often-deleterious impact of running the country.
