Justice and Development Party (AKP)

With Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan set to declare his candidacy for the presidency, Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay has suggested that the more urgent question facing the government was convincing President Abdullah Gül to lead the party in the run-up to parliamentary elections in 2015.

The presidential candidate of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is almost obvious, but it might not be announced until June 15, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç has said.

“The heart has reasons that reason cannot know” is a famous saying of French philosopher Blaise Pascal. It was quoted by Yaşar Yakış, former foreign minister during the first Justice and Development Party (AKP) government, when he visited the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) last week to speak at a closed event.

The Turkish government, which has been the subject of harsh criticism after the recent Soma coal mine disaster, has submitted a bill to improve working conditions for miners.

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has announced that it will present a proposal to have an additional article included in the currently-debated judicial package to secure the release of a jailed lawmaker from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

In the early hours of May 28, 2013, police attacked a small group of environmentalists in Gezi Park, near Istanbul’s historic Taksim Square.

In remarkable scenes late on May 27, opposition parties joined forces for the approval of an amendment to the Labor Law, which they were able to pass due to the absence of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies.

PM Erdoğan says the HDP should take role in getting back kidnapped children from the outlawed PKK or the government will launch alternative plans to the ongoing peace process Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has delivered an ultimatum-like statement to the pro-Kurdish party represented at Parliament, saying it should work for the release of a group of children abducted by the outlaw

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has found Turkey guilty of violating the right to the freedom of expression, in a case regarding an article written by a law professor.

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday Ankara is to launch extradition proceedings against Muslim Cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lives in the US.