Turkey: Politics of Identity and Power

Carol Migdalovitz | Congressional Research Service | 2010-08-13

This report provides an examination of the present Turkish domestic political scene, with particular focus on the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). "Turkey has long been a valued U.S. NATO ally and strategic partner. Successive administrations have viewed it as a secular democracy that could serve as an inspiration or model for other Muslim majority countries. However, the ruling AKP has made foreign policy decisions that have led some longtime U.S. observers to question its future course," the report states. "Domestic political developments may be enabling the AKP’s greater assertiveness in international affairs and are, therefore, worthy of closer scrutiny."