One of the most influential political parties in the brief history of the Republic of Türkiye, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) celebrated the 22nd anniversary of its establishment on Monday. Led by incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the party boasts a bright record of election wins since its foundation as Türkiye’s 39th political party in 2002.

Despite obstacles piled on its road to Parliament and ultimately, to the Presidency, the party changed the political landscape of Türkiye, which was facing growing public discontent after a string of unsuccessful governments lost public support and the aftermath of a 1997 coup.

The "Movement of the Virtuous" as it was unofficially called, the party, founded by a breakaway group of politicians from the now-defunct Virtue Party (FP), was embraced by the masses tired of conventional political movements. Today, it strides toward Erdoğan’s vision of the "Century of Türkiye," an ambitious program of reforms achieved or to be achieved for the centenary of the Republic of Türkiye.

Back in 2001, few would have guessed that it would leave an indelible mark on the country’s history of democracy, which has mostly been a tumultuous period disrupted by a series of coups. After all, parties used to be founded and shut down overnight in Türkiye, while few adhered to the policies they advocated in the beginning. Adopting a lightbulb with seven rays representing Türkiye's seven regions, the AK Party was "open to the brightness and closed to the darkness" as its leader Erdoğan would say at a news conference where he announced its foundation on Aug. 14, 2001, in the capital Ankara.

Erdoğan, who brought together veteran and young politicians for the first cadres of the AK Party, is primarily credited with the party's overwhelming success, as it won the first election it participated in on Nov. 3, 2002, with a vote rate of 34.82%. This victory ended the lengthy period of coalition governments in Türkiye, while Erdoğan would have to wait for a while to take office as the new prime minister. A political ban slapped on Erdoğan for reciting an "inciting" poem in 1997 was followed by a prison sentence in 1999. AK Party co-founder Abdullah Gül instead would take the seat as prime minister of the 58th government of Türkiye. In 2003, a by-election in the constituency of Siirt, where an AK Party lawmaker voluntarily gave up his seat, granted Erdoğan a seat in Parliament. On March 15, 2003, Erdoğan finally took office as prime minister after the Gül-led government resigned in favor of Erdoğan.

The party had its first challenge to remain in power in the 2004 local elections. But the sweeping social change bringing the AK Party to power as the voice of the previously unheard masses also brought it its first municipal election victory. With a vote rate of 41.7%, the AK Party won seats in 1950 municipalities. In the next general election, it further cemented its success by winning more than 46% of the vote. The successive elections were almost a carbon copy of each other for the AK Party in terms of the high rate of vote, despite fluctuations at times.

It was not an easy road to power for the party, though, amid strict opposition from remnants of military and judiciary tutelage. In 2008, the party faced closure while Erdoğan and other senior figures faced political bans when the Constitutional Court approved pleas for the closure of the party. It ultimately staved off the closure at the end of the legal process.

Undaunted, the party did not step back from its goal of the prevalence of democracy. In 2014, Erdoğan had the honor of being the first publicly elected president of Türkiye after legal amendments advocated by the party were approved. In 2016, Erdoğan handed the seat of the AK Party leadership to Binali Yıldırım, who went on to be elected as prime minister.

In 2017, the party brought another major change to Türkiye. A referendum in favor of an executive presidential system was overwhelmingly approved by the public, also eliminating the clause that the president should resign from his party. In 2018, Erdoğan was elected as the first president of the new system.

Accustomed to the victories, Erdoğan faced a tough test in the 2023 elections. For the first time and in the face of an unprecedented alliance of the opposition, Erdoğan was forced to participate in a runoff election on May 28. Still, the public support apparently did not fade for the president, who won the runoff with more than 52% of the vote.

Releasing a video message on the anniversary of the party’s foundation, Erdoğan said that their journey as the AK Party started with the slogan "Nothing will be the same again." "We are here today after winning every election we competed in. I am grateful to each brother and sister who worked to accomplish our cause within the ranks of the party. I am grateful to each member of this revered nation who always sided with the AK Party in its struggle to provide more services to people. I am proud to be a son of this noble nation who gave their lives for us," he said, referring to the 2016 coup attempt where dozens were killed while standing against putschists in an unprecedented resistance.

Haling the recent victory at parliamentary and presidential elections in May, Erdoğan said: "I believe that this election process, which once again defeated those who see themselves above the national will, will have a special place in our political history."

Erdogan called on AK Party members to work around the clock to prepare for the upcoming 2024 local elections that are expected to be held in March.

During the AK Party's 21 years in power, Erdoğan said it has produced works and services that will make every inch of Türkiye fertile, adding that, "This is the most important reason behind our success in elections."

"Today, just as we celebrate our 22nd birthday with the pride of the victory in the May 14-28 elections, hopefully, we will reach our 23rd anniversary with the joy of the March 31, 2024, election victory," he added.

The AK Party is set to start shaping its candidate list in November for the upcoming local elections scheduled for March, a party official recently said. Applications for mayoral candidates will open after the party convenes its extraordinary council on Oct. 7 as it concentrates on campaign strategies, Deputy Chair Hamza Dağ told a Turkish broadcaster last week. The upcoming polls will be a test for the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) municipalities, the way presidential and parliamentary elections in May were another, Dağ said. Municipalities that govern more than 50% of the population, namely Türkiye’s top metropolitans Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, are under CHP management, Dağ pointed out.

"They failed their first test in May. In March 2024, these mayors will see what they have accomplished in the past five years. Their records are very weak and citizens will make them face these records in March 2023," he said. The ruling party lost control of Istanbul and Ankara for the first time in 25 years, as well as five of Türkiye’s largest cities, to the CHP in the 2019 elections, something the opposition characterized as a blow to the AK Party’s popularity – but both the president and his party came out victorious in May.