AK Party as an example of the transformation of nationalist conservative parties

This study examines the transformation of nationalist-conservative parties in Turkey through the case of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party). The research is based on the party's election manifestos between 2002 and 2023, its party program, and Presidential Decree No. 1 as the main data set. Using qualitative content analysis and discourse analysis methods, the study explores the continuities and ruptures in the party's discourse and institutional arrangements. The findings reveal three major phases in the AK Party's discourse: between 2002 and 2011, a reformist and EU-oriented conservative-democrat discourse; between 2011 and 2015, a shift from the concept of "advanced democracy" toward the emphasis on the presidential system and governance efficiency; and after 2016, the centralization of discourse around survival (beka), national security, and nationalist alliances. In addition, the establishment of Policy Councils under CBK-1 and the Presidential Government System (CHS) indicates that this discourse has been institutionalized and made permanent. In conclusion, the AK Party represents not only an ideological-discursive but also an institutional transformation of nationalist-conservative politics in Turkey. This case provides a unique example in terms of the reconstruction of the center-right tradition in Turkey, its similarities with populist right-wing movements, and its differences from European conservative parties. Keywords Nationalist-Conservative Discourse, AK Party, Presidential Government System, Party Transformation