Justice and Development Party and the Hegemony of Kemalism

A significant transformation in Turkey''s foreign policy orientation occurred after the Justice and Development Party (AdaletveKalkınmaPartisior AKP in Turkish) gained power in 2002. This change was the cause of dissatisfaction of Turkish secular military leaders، Kemalists and pro-Westerners who are concerned that similar to the former Islamist parties، the AKP might seek to strengthen Islamism and form religious alliance in this region by abandoning the principles and doctrines of Kemalism and the West. Since 2002، new principles for Turkey''s foreign and domestic policy were defined، but the comparison of the function and output of the AKP''s foreign policy with the principles of Kemalist foreign policy indicate that the new leaders have adopted a modern Islamic outlook. They not only think differently compared to the earlier Islamists، but they have also reached an agreement on reconciliation with their oldest and toughest rivals (i. e.، the secular Kemalists) regarding the principles of Kemalism. Their new approaches to foreign policy are just changes in tactics to achieve the traditional objectives which have been the foreign policy priorities of the seculars.