A series of economic shocks led to new elections in 2002, bringing into power the conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP).Ali Çarkoğlu, "Economic evaluations vs. ideology: Diagnosing the sources of electoral change in Turkey, 2002–2011." Electoral Studies 31.3 (2012): 513-521. It was headed by the former mayor of Istanbul, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The political reforms of the AKP have ensured the beginning of the negotiations with the European Union. The AKP again won the 2007 elections, which followed the controversial August 2007 presidential election, during which AKP member Abdullah Gül was elected president at the third round. Recent developments in Iraq (explained under positions on terrorism and security), secular and religious concerns, the intervention of the military in political issues, relations with the EU, the United States, and the Muslim world were the main issues. The outcome of this election, which brought the Turkish and Kurdish ethnic/nationalist parties (MHP and DTP) into the parliament, affected Turkey's bid for the European Union membership.Soner Cagaptay, The new sultan: Erdogan and the crisis of modern Turkey (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020).
