Turkiye’s AK Party turns 25: A journey of change and renewal

What the report says

Al Jazeera published an opinion piece marking the 25th anniversary of Turkiye’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party), founded on August 14, 2001. The article, written by AK Party General Secretary and MP for İzmir Eyyüp Kadir İnan, presents the party’s rise as a long period of political renewal under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who leads the party. It frames the movement as having brought stability after the turbulent 1990s and as having reshaped the relationship between the state and voters.

The piece says the AK Party’s record over two decades includes democratic consolidation, development projects, and expanded public services. It highlights the Health Transformation Program, growth in the defense industry, and greater domestic technology ambitions, including the TEKNOFEST event. It also argues that the party has helped increase Turkiye’s influence internationally and supported a more independent foreign and security policy.

The author places this anniversary in the context of earlier political crises in Turkiye, including unstable coalition governments, the 2001 economic crisis, and past military and judicial pressure on elected politics. While the article is strongly promotional and reflects the party’s own view, it helps explain how AK Party supporters interpret its legacy and why the anniversary is being used to underline themes of continuity, sovereignty and renewal.