The Eighth Congress of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) opened on Sunday in the capital, Ankara. The congress is expected to be a turning point for the party, whose leader, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has pledged changes in its ruling cadres.
Supporters of the party from around Türkiye streamed into Ankara Sports Hall for the congress, where Erdoğan is expected to address a large audience later on Sunday. Amid tight security, guests were allowed into the spacious hall while those unable to enter the overcrowded hall will watch the congress from giant screens set up outside.
The hall was adorned with posters of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Türkiye, and Erdoğan, along with Turkish flags.
Along with guests from foreign political parties and governments, the congress hosted representatives of political parties in Türkiye. Those include deputy chairs of the AK Party’s main rival, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), and the party’s main ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, who is recovering after surgery, sent a giant bouquet of flowers to congratulate the congress. The bouquet had 1071 roses symbolizing victory at the Battle of Manzikert (Malazgirt) in that year that paved the way for Turkish dominance in present-day Türkiye, 1453 clovers symbolizing the year of the conquest of Istanbul and 23 white orchids representing the years of the AK Party in Turkish politics.
The congress will elect new members of the party’s administrative committees and will wrap up nationwide congresses, which started last year and saw the majority of provincial heads and provincial cadres replaced with intraparty elections.
Erdoğan addressed a fervent crowd outside the hall before his main speech at the congress as he arrived at the venue. He hailed the enthusiasm of AK Party members and thanked them. “We have 60,000 people here outside the hall. We are proud as members of a movement called AK,” he said, referring to an acronym which also means white in Turkish. “We are concluding our marathon with our grand congress. We concluded it in a climate of brotherhood fit for the AK Party, without quarrels and more importantly, without any shady dealings,” Erdoğan said about allegations of vote-buying in rival CHP’s intraparty election last year. “We made an introspection and reinforced our bridges with our nation. We are starting a new era,” the president said.
