The role of political campaigns in the process of political marketing: The case of AK Party (justice and development party)

The most advanced type of governing and life style that has been developed by humanity up to so far is democracy and which is only possible by the mechanism of elections. By the means of elections, not only a leader/a governing party in which electorates have a faith in come to power, but also the political system strengthens, and the powers which could harm the political system are ousted.During election campaigns other than the national and international political environment, the communication strategies developed by the leadership of the political party is significantly influential on the decision-making process of the electorates. Election campaigns have become more professionalized in the recent years.Indeed, what is being carried out during such election campaigns is essentially the marketing of ideas. The election campaign can make a party win the elections only if it could able to promote a promising leader, in the case of a trustworthy team of politicians, and a vibrant party program.Whatever their strategy, in liberal democracies in which there are free elections, the marketing of political ideas have become an instrument that cannot be foregone in the game of politics.The general elections of July 2007 in Turkey are full of lessons that are about political campaigning.In the first part of the study election campaigns within the framework of political marketing is explained in relation with the concepts of politics, democracy, political parties, and election process.In the second part, political communication and marketing, election campaigns and issues that revolve around these concepts are discussed.In the third part, as a primary object of research, the structure of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and its leader Tayyip Erdoğan are to be explained.In the fourth section, the political public relations and communication strategies of the AK Party during the election campaign of 2007 are examined.In the final part of the thesis, on the basis of data that are obtained from the depth interviews with the experts who are engaged in politics, it is argued that the party has used very modern and effective instruments of public relations? methods and by extending such activities to the whole year, it succeeds to maintain its respectability and power.