ABSTRACT
The new government moved quickly to assure its European partners that it would prioritize European Union accession, encouraged a settlement of the Cyprus dispute, and appeared ready to address Turkey’s Kurdish issue as a political rather than a security problem that required an inclusive and conciliatory approach. The Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi (AKP) political domination of Turkey’s political life seems complete. It has won a succession of national and local elections, referenda and, in 2014, its first direct presidential election, often managing to attract around 50% or more of the vote, compared with the 34% it achieved in 2002. The military appears to have been neutered as a domestic political actor – at least for the time being – and to have lost the capacity, legitimacy or even inclination to intervene in the country’s political processes or set its national security agenda. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
