The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has asked provincial and district chairpersons to prepare extensive reports outlining their strategies for the 2023 elections, a report said Monday.
After revamping the cadres of 19 provincial congresses, the AK Party has requested all chairpersons to present a three-year strategy to the party administration, according to Türkiye daily.
“Besides this, we will also conduct a survey for our provincial and district chairpersons,” a party source told the daily, adding that it will enable them to “evaluate” themselves and their work.
The party has also been trying to create a pool of human resources for its administration to ensure the active participation of all its members.
Executives in the provincial and district administrations will also receive training on “use of social media outlets,” "crisis management,” “personal development” and “the 2023 elections,” which are expected to be provided through online channels due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, the sources also noted that a 30% quota has been allocated for women and the youth for appointing of new executives.
In October, the party kicked off its provincial congresses from the southeastern province of Şırnak within the scope of the party's seventh ordinary congress process.
The AK Party was founded in 2001 under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and quickly gained momentum, emerging as the leading body in the Nov. 3, 2002, general elections, receiving 34.28% of the votes.
Since then, the AK Party has participated in six general elections – in 2002, 2007, 2011 and June 2015, plus in the November snap elections in 2015 and 2018 – and won them all. As a result, over the last 19 years, two presidents and four prime ministers have been selected from the AK Party. In the presidential election of 2018, Erdoğan, who is also currently the head of the AK Party, became the first democratically elected leader under Turkey’s new system of presidential government.
Within its base, the AK Party has millions of people from differing political backgrounds, and since winning its first election, its voter count has increased in every subsequent election.
In fact, the party is known for its dynamic structure that routinely revives itself. Erdoğan led a rejuvenation process in late 2017, repeatedly speaking of “mental fatigue” within the body.