Justice and Development Party at the Helm: Resurgence of Islam or Restitution of the Right-of-Center Predominant Party?

The Justice and Development Party (AKP), which had been in government since 2002, increased its votes dramatically in the 2007 national elections. It was a first since the 1954 and 1977 elections in Turkey. With immaculate Islamist credentials, had those who voted for the AKP actually voted for political Islam in 2007? Or, were there some other factors at play? This study examines the determinants of party preferences of Turkish voters in 2007. The nationally representative pre-election survey of 2007 is used in the statistical analysis, which reveals that partisan affiliations followed by the voter satisfaction with the performance of the economy played the biggest role in determining the voter preferences in Turkey in the 2007 elections.