The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has decided to make radical changes in local party organizations as part of the 18-year-old party's rejuvenation process.

Accordingly, leading figures who are respected in their regions are expected to be added to local party organizations replacing inefficient members, which means about half of the organizations will be altered.

In the party's Central Executive Committee (MYK) meeting chaired by party chairman President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday, the AK Party evaluated the agenda for the party's seventh party congress process which will be launched on Oct. 7.

While the deputy chairman responsible for local organizations Erkan Kandemir made a comprehensive presentation to give information, possible changes on organizations were discussed.

It was reported that radical changes in local organizations were decided on, especially considering the results of this year's local elections. According to the decision, respectable figures will be added to local organizations.

The party has until May 2021 for its seventh ordinary congress; however, the party will not wait until then and is expected to hold a congress in September 2020. The congress will not only elect the leader of the party but also members of the Central Decision and Executive Board, the highest decision-making actor in the party. From the rejuvenated Central Decision and Executive Board, Central Executive Committee members, who constitute the managerial staff of the party, will be elected.

Founded on Aug. 14, 2001 under the leadership of Erdoğan, the AK Party has become the most successful political party in modern Turkey's democratic history with successive election victories and for leading reforms that improved the country's democracy and economic standards.

Transforming Turkish politics for the last 17 years, the AK Party has been preparing to lead new reforms to enable Turkey to reach its 2023 targets. Only one year after its foundation, the AK Party saw great success in its first general elections, garnering 34.3% of the vote in the Nov. 3, 2002 elections and earning 363 seats in Parliament. Since then, the AK Party has never lost an election. In the last 17 years under the AK Party administration, Turkey witnessed rapid development in many areas, including economy, democracy, individual liberties and rights, health and educational services in a stable political environment.