The AKP Wins Power and Later Reshapes Turkey Into a Presidential System
A party with Islamist roots dominates Turkish politics for two decades, then abolishes the office of prime minister
Quick facts
- AKP founded
- August 2001, by Recep Tayyip Erdogan
- 2002 election result
- Two-thirds of parliamentary seats
- 2017 referendum result
- 51.41 percent Yes, 48.59 percent No
- Key change
- Office of prime minister abolished; executive presidency created
What happened
The Justice and Development Party, known by its Turkish initials AKP and founded in August 2001 by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, won the November 2002 general election with two-thirds of parliamentary seats, becoming the first party to win a governing majority in 11 years. Erdogan himself was initially barred from taking office because of a prior conviction, so Abdullah Gul served as prime minister until a constitutional amendment and a March 2003 by-election let Erdogan take over. The AKP went on to dominate Turkish politics for the next two decades, and on 16 April 2017 a nationwide referendum narrowly approved, with 51.4 percent of the vote, an 18-article package of constitutional amendments that abolished the office of prime minister and handed its powers to a strengthened presidency, able to issue decrees with the force of law and to appoint judicial officials.
Why it matters
The 2017 referendum marked the most significant restructuring of Turkish government since the republic's founding, replacing the parliamentary system Ataturk's constitution had established with a presidential system concentrating executive authority in one office, held by the same leader who had governed continuously since 2003. The change followed a state of emergency declared after the failed 2016 coup attempt and drew sharp criticism from European monitors over whether the vote met international democratic standards.
How we know
The AKP's founding and 2002 election victory, and the 2017 referendum's exact vote count and constitutional changes, are documented in Turkey's own state news agency's contemporaneous reporting on both events.
Sources
- Anadolu Agency. 15 Years of Turkey's Justice and Development Party · Reputable sourceaa.com.tr · The domain "aa.com.tr" is on our Reputable source registry. · Link is live and its text matches the event's key terms (Jul 2026)
- Anadolu Agency. Turkey: Official Referendum Results Announced · Reputable sourceaa.com.tr · The domain "aa.com.tr" is on our Reputable source registry. · Link is live and its text matches the event's key terms (Jul 2026)
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