In light of the civilian uprisings that are rattling the Middle East, much has been made of the republic of Turkey as a model for reform and democratisation in the Muslim world. By any measure, Turkey is the most successful Muslim democracy, however, if the Turkish experience is indicative, then the process of establishing robust and viable democracies in the Middle East will be long and slow.
Elections on 12 June saw the third successive electoral victory of the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi, AKP), cementing the mandate of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and reaffirming popular approval for his economic development and democratisation agenda.
Emerging in 2002, the AKP won its first decisive majority after a long period of Turkish political instability notable for weak coalition governments and military interventions. Successive elections have seen AKP increase its majority. However, some observers regard the AKP's dominance as heralding the spectre of Islamism rather than representing the ongoing evolution of Turkey's democratic credentials.
The AKP undoubtedly has its roots in Islamic political activism. It grew out of the ashes of the Refah Party, which temporarily held power under Necmettin Erbakan, the prime minister ousted by the generals in 1997 in the most recent military coup.
That the Erbakan government was deemed to have violated the principle of secularism that underpins the Turkish constitution, sets alarm bells ringing for those who see Erdogan as intent on the same. And Erdogan's efforts at rapprochement with neighbouring Syria and Iran have caused some pundits to opine that Turkey is 'turning east'; some diplomats even asked how the West had 'lost' Turkey.
Yet despite its ideological foundations, the Erdogan government has displayed consistent pragmatism rather than proselytising zeal. Under AKP stewardship Turkey finally began EU accession talks in October 2005. Various human rights issues have also been addressed, ostensibly with a view to expediting EU membership, nonetheless the result has been some freeing up of the public sphere.
Erdogan has also sought to promote a more pluralistic milieu within the country tackling the 'Kurdish question' and seeking reconciliation with Armenia. Little tangible progress has been made, however discourse is now more inclusive and less defined by nationalistic parameters.
On the economic front, the AKP government has