Tens of thousands of people descended into a sports hall in the capital, Ankara, on Sunday for an eighth grand congress of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). The congress was a celebration of the enduring force of the party in the Turkish political scene since the early 2000s and a showcase for new figures in this congress of “renewal.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has pledged the renewal after last year’s municipal elections and the party kicked off provincial congresses the previous autumn. All culminated in Sunday’s congress in the capital, where Erdoğan had to make a separate speech outside the hall due to a sheer number of supporters streaming into the venue from across Türkiye.
“Names are temporary, but the cause lives forever,” Erdoğan said as he made his second speech at the congress. Hundreds of delegates then proceeded to elect new names or vote for current members running again to the party’s central decision and executive board (MKYK) and central executive board (MYK). Candidates for boards were diverse and some 75 names were listed for the MKYK. Among them were renowned economist Abdülkadir Develi, former Arsenal player Mesut Özil and Kürşad Zorlu, a lawmaker who recently joined the AK Party from the opposition Good Party (IP). Long-serving names such as Erkan Kandemir, who was among the organizers of the congress as AK Party deputy chair, and former AK Party youth wing chair Eyyup Kadir Inan were among other candidates. Thirty-nine in the list of candidates were new names overall. Seven among them were lawmakers who joined the AK Party from opposition parties last year and this year. Twenty-nine candidates were AK Party lawmakers. As usual, President Erdoğan was re-elected as chair of the party at the congress.
The party also established three new boards within the MYK to oversee relations with Turkic states, health policies and culture and arts policies. Thus, the number of the party’s deputy chairs rose to 19 from 16.
The congress was also an occasion to formally welcome three lawmakers from the opposition to the AK Party. Ünal Karaman, a former football coach, and Mehmet Salim Ensarioğlu, a veteran politician, joined the AK Party on Sunday. Serap Yazıcı Özbudun, who announced her resignation from the Future Party (GP) on Saturday, joined them onstage as Erdoğan posed with new lawmakers of his party.
The event was attended by representatives of foreign political parties and governments. Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Ersin Tatar was among them and sat next to Erdoğan. Some political parties shunned sending representatives to the congress but AK Party’s main rival the Republican People’s Party (CHP) sent two deputy chairs while a delegation represented 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.
Erdoğan entered the venue in the company of first lady Emine Erdoğan and greeted the crowd. Speeches by AK Party administrators and Erdoğan were preceded by a screening of a short film about the congress and a mini-concert by AK Party lawmaker and renowned composer and singer Yücel Arzen Hacıoğulları.
Addressing the congress, Erdoğan said the AK Party, which was founded 24 years ago, has been “a political organization that has continuously succeeded in renewing, changing, developing, and elevating itself."
The congress was held under the slogan “Named White, Illuminating The Future,” which refers to the party’s shortened name, AK, which means white.
AK Party secured a single-party government victory in 2002, one year after its foundation, ending an era of successive coalition governments that ultimately led to a political and economic crisis. Erdoğan, under a political ban, was elected as prime minister only in 2003 after the ban ended. The party held its first grand congress in 2003, some seven months after forming the first AK Party government, and elected Erdoğan as its chairperson. The party’s last grand congress was in 2023, the year Erdoğan was elected president again.
In his speech, Erdoğan expressed his gratitude to everyone who contributed to the AK Party's organization at every level, offering material and moral support and working hard for the party.
"We may face hardships today, but with faith, will, and determination, we will regain comfort tomorrow," Erdoğan continued. "The important thing is not to lose direction, not to lose heart, and to preserve our sincere intentions. Of course, some prefer to play minor roles in the scenarios of Türkiye's enemies rather than joining us in our common purpose. You know them well. We leave those who are captives of greed, negligence, and arrogance to the foresight of our noble nation."
Erdoğan emphasized that the 8th Ordinary Congress was seen as a new breath and milestone in the party's long journey. He expressed hope that the congress would be a catalyst for good things.
He pointed out that in the process leading to the grand congress, nearly three-quarters of provincial chairpersons and two-thirds of district chairpersons were changed. He urged the party's members to work with even greater determination and productivity.
"I expect even more effort from our Women's Branch, which is the locomotive of our party's organization that has allowed us to reach every household in the country. I also ask our youth, who are the guarantee of our future, to bring the full dynamism of their generation to our party," Erdoğan said. "Our policies are dynamic, our staff is flexible, but our principles remain constant."
He emphasized that the AK Party is built on a solid foundation unique to Türkiye and vowed to continue its journey with determination, always focusing on the future. He reflected on the party’s journey, saying that the AK Party would continue to grow, deeply rooted in its founding values. "We will never forget how societies that detach themselves from their roots scatter like dry leaves in the wind."
The president reiterated the AK Party of its early motto that nothing in Türkiye would ever be the same again and hailed how they succeeded in ensuring it.
"We made the power of our cause the power of our country, and with the strength of our country, we built a leading Türkiye in the region and the world. No one promised us a bed of roses. We created that bed of roses ourselves, step by step," Erdoğan said.
He reminded young people that the AK Party's success was not merely due to winning elections but, more importantly, by winning the hearts of the people. "We have been in power because we won hearts one by one,” he said.
He emphasized that they would not deviate from the path set by the nation and would continue walking side by side with the people in the same direction. "We did not emerge as a product of political or societal engineering. We were born as the party of the people, grew as such, and have come this far," he said. Erdoğan stressed that they have always worked to multiply the people's enthusiasm, excitement and hopes without compromising sincerity or honesty. He added that they have never allowed arrogant politics, which blames failures on voters, to approach them. Instead, they have faced the public with a strong will to correct their shortcomings, faults, and mistakes. AK Party suffered its first losses on the municipal level in the 2024 elections, where it lost several strongholds to rival CHP while failing to regain the others it lost in the 2019 local elections.
“Those who are hostile to the AK Party have always expected this movement to fall apart, collapse, stumble or falter. They hoped we would give up in the face of challenges, remain silent in the face of threats and betray the will entrusted to us by the nation. They expected us to surrender to the moneyed elites and remain silent in the face of oppression. Those who have pinned all their hopes on the weakening of the AK Party and the exhaustion of our cadres have been waiting since Aug. 14, 2001. They will wait even longer. We will keep them waiting,” Erdoğan said to the thunderous applause of the audience, who often interrupted his speech with pro-Erdoğan, pro-AK Party slogans.
He described how political instability fed economic crises, impoverished the people and weakened the country, thus excluding Türkiye from global competition in the past.
"Through our resolute steps, reform efforts, and the struggle we fought at great personal cost against both internal and external forces, we restored Turkey's political and economic independence,” he said.
He criticized the opposition for continually creating a democracy crisis and seeking to derive authority from internal and external powers instead of the people, and stated that this has turned into the opposition’s primary activity. Erdoğan also mentioned that the opposition's willingness to cooperate with terrorist groups and undemocratic power centers has led the country to face the "toxic democracy" issue, especially in the last two elections.
He reminded that the so-called alliances and consensus-building processes were carried out not transparently, but behind closed doors, where strategic state institutions, ministries, mayorships and council memberships were bought and sold “like goods at a market.”
"Democracy’s benefits have been used by careerists and self-interested individuals to poison democracy and ambush the people's will," Erdoğan said.
He concluded by stating that these manipulations have caused a trust crisis in the political system and the effects are still being felt. Erdoğan made it clear that "there is no room for hopelessness, deadlock, or any attempt that will undermine the supremacy of national will where the AK Party exists." He said that the antidote to toxic democracy is the AK Party and the People's Alliance it led with MHP.
