The solid victory of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Turkey’s July 22 elections has stunned many pro-secularists, and given rise to questions over the hold the Ankara establishment (especially the military) may still have in the country. The gamble Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan took in calling early elections seems to have paid off. The reaction from the markets has also been positive, with many hoping for continued economic reform and stability. The 46.7% of the vote gained by the AKP is enough to see it take 340 of the parliament’s 550 seats — sufficient for a comfortable majority, though not enough for the required two-thirds majority needed to enact constitutional change or elect a president. The party managed to increase its share of the vote by 12.4% over its 2002 results, demonstrating its continued popularity with voters. Two other parties managed to cross the 10% threshold and
