AK Party marks 25 years as Turkiye redefines its political and foreign policy stance

Turkiye’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has marked its 25th anniversary, commemorating the quarter-century since its founding in 2001. The celebration underscores the party’s assertion that it has fundamentally transformed the nation’s governance structures, moving away from the political instability that characterised the 1990s.

In a statement published on Al Jazeera, the party’s general secretary and MP for Izmir described the period as a journey of strengthening democracy and elevating Turkiye’s global standing. The narrative positions the AK Party as the successor to the democratic struggles of former Prime Minister Adnan Menderes, framing its 25-year tenure as a restoration of civilian authority against what it describes as tutelary regimes and judicial closures of predecessor parties.

The party highlights its “capacity for political translation” as the core mechanism of its longevity. This concept, defined as the ability to convert societal expectations into viable public policies, is cited as the reason for its uninterrupted stability. The text contrasts this with the 1990s, a period it describes as marked by fragile coalitions, economic crises, and the “February 8 post-modern coup,” which it argues usurped the nation’s will.

Domestically, the AK Party points to the Health Transformation Program and advancements in the defence industry as key achievements. These include the domestic production of national fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The party asserts that these initiatives have dismantled the “state commands its citizens” mentality, replacing it with a framework where the state serves the nation, a shift it claims has empowered the “silent majority.”

On the international stage, the party references the “Erdogan Doctrine” and the slogan “The World is Bigger Than Five!” to describe its independent foreign policy. It claims Turkiye has thwarted Israel’s “expansionist ambitions” and positioned itself as a primary advocate for the Palestinian cause and Gaza. The party argues that this stance, combined with a rejection of algorithmic exploitation by global digital giants, positions Turkiye as a vanguard in a multipolar world order.

The anniversary narrative concludes with a focus on the “Century of Turkiye” vision, which the party aims to build on the axis of justice and sustainable global peace. Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the AK Party presents itself not merely as a political organisation but as a civilisational force that has rewritten the rules of international diplomacy through its democratic legitimacy and strategic autonomy.