Tracing the Pragmatic Nature of Justice and Development Party (AKP) Back to Its Party Programme

This article examines the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi – AKP) and argues that the party’s strategic adaptability is not incidental but intrinsic to its political identity. While the AKP has its roots in political Islam, it has consistently recalibrated its discourse and policies to maintain and consolidate power. By analyzing the party’s program and juxtaposing it with its policy record in key areas such as fundamental rights, economy, education and gender, this study demonstrates that pragmatism is embedded in both the party’s founding vision and its long-term governance approach. The article defines pragmatism as a political orientation that prioritizes outcomes over ideological coherence and views the AKP’s shifts, ranging from EU-aligned reformism to competitive authoritarianism, not as ideological inconsistencies but as expressions of a flexible, interest-driven strategy. Finally, the study highlights how the AKP has instrumentalized both Islamist and secular-democratic narratives, reconfiguring them in response to changing political contexts.