The conservative politics in Turkey towards the 2000s "Ak Party sample"

This study analysis a political party i.e. Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which managed to get the power shortly after its foundation. Ak Party is an important political actor not only because of its adaptation conservatism as a political ideology and defined itself as a ?conservative democrat? party, but also because of its achievements in a serious process of change in the country. In this sense, conservative politics of Turkey is being explained through AK party case. In order to understand the nature of conservatism in Turkey, firstly the identity discussion in a globalizing world and the reflections of this discussion in Turkey were analysed. Secondly, theoretical models for understanding Turkish politics were analysed and socio-political and historical background of the change was studied. In this context, the differences between the concepts suggested by Şerif Mardin and Emre Kongar ?center-periphery? or ?statist-elitist?, ?traditionalist-liberalist? were discussed and the social fundamentals of the political tradition which gave rise to AK Party were highligted. After this theoretical framework, information was given about conservatism as a political ideology and a philosophical tradition as well as historical roots and present situation of this ideology in Turkey were analysed in detail. For a better understanding of the meaning of conservatism for Turkey in daily politics, some interviews with the key or leading persons of the Party were made and they were asked about their understanding of conservatism and how do they see current problems of Turkey through their ideology. In particular, some assessments were made how this party left the ?National View? path and produced a distinctive identity. Finaly, the results of 156 the interviews were interpreted in order to reach to a concrete picture of AK Party. At the end of the study, the qualifications which differs this party from the others were highlighted and some observations were made about the place of AK Party and its role in Turkish politics as a new emerging political identity based on conservatism.