Turkey has been governed by Justice and Development Party (AK Party) governments for 15 years. Not everyone remembers the magnitude of the crisis in 2000 when a military intervention was tacitly realized, two leading political parties were excluded from Parliament and subsequent governments were pillaging the country's resources. Corrupt governments backed by military tutelage stole $60 billion of Turkey's wealth. As civilian politicians were incompetent in resolving the ongoing crisis, Kemal Derviş, an employee of the World Bank, pulled the Turkish economy together like a colonial governor. What is worse, the wealth accumulated during the Welfare Party-True Path Party government was also depleted by the succeeding corrupt government. The Cabinet could not meet regularly and the treasury secretary unsuccessfully attempted suicide in the face of treason and bankruptcy.
Coming to power in 2002, AK Party governments have restored Turkey's competitive power in the international economic realm. Yet military tutelage had been in its heyday to such an extent that many expected a military intervention. Dozens of politicians had been waiting their turn after an eventual fall of the AK Party government by military intervention.
Until the general elections of June 17, 2011, the AK Party government governed the state in a strongly despite all odds. Yet, as Recep Tayyip Erdoğan become Turkey's president and withdrew from the leadership of the AK Party, the default settings of the ruling party were broken. Partly due to disharmony between Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and President Erdoğan, the government began to make serious mistakes on such issues as the PKK, the Syrian civil war and elsewhere.
Turkey's political situation after the general elections of June 17 echoed the political crisis of the early 2000s. The AK Party put an end to the escalation of the crisis by forming a minority government and holding an early election. More importantly, Erdoğan directly took the government in hand by terminating the present double-headedness of the state. As opposed to the previous government, experienced Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım began to pursue a prudent policy by developing harmonious relations with the presidency.
Meanwhile, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli's pro-government attitude began to crystalize following the attempted coup of July 15, 2016. During this gloomy time, terrorist organizations – most notably Daesh, the PKK and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) – intensified attacks to such an extent that the territorial integrity of Turkey was brought up for discussion. In this respect, Erdoğan's public statements on the Lausanne Treaty constituted in a challenge to any attempt to violate Turkey's territorial integrity by pointing to its capacity to regain its former losses.
Thanks to the formation of the new AK Party government, an unrelenting struggle has been launched and successfully sustained against these terrorist organizations. Started by the MHP's support, Turkey has realized the transformation from a parliamentarian to presidential system.
Today, the alliance between the AK Party and the MHP for the upcoming presidential election in 2019 demonstrates that the stability of the AK Party government will ensure the stability of the country. Such an alliance will also constructively influence Turkish foreign policy. In fact, the AK Party-MHP alliance will ensure stability and growth.
