Is AKP heading for a split?
With his strong grip on the ruling Justice and Development Party, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made decisions that could cause a split in the ranks after the Nov. 1 election.
The Justice and Development Party (AKP) has ruled Turkey single-handedly for more than a decade, winning a solid majority in three successive elections, in 2002, 2007 and 2011.
It not only won every election, it increased its share of votes each time. In 2002, less than a year after it was founded, the AKP became a single-party government, surprising many in and outside Turkey by pulling in around 34% of the votes cast.
