The Justice and Development Party (AKP) were elected to power in 2002 and since then Turkish politics has undergone considerable change. This book is a comprehensive analysis of the AKP and its politics in government, and will be an important contribution to Political Science, particularly the areas of Turkish politics, Middle Eastern studies, Islamic studies and comparative politics. "[T]his is a well written and highly useful work. Its strongest point is demonstrating that in the so-called Islamist parties, religion is but one of the multiplicity of inputs that determine what the party does and who supports it. The book is the most comprehensive work available on the AKP and as such a must for anyone who is interested in Turkish politics, Islam and politics, Islam and democracy." - Ilter Turan, Istanbul Bilgi University; Journal of Islamic Studies, vol 23, no 1, January 2012 "The book by William Hale and Özbudun is a significant analysis of the origin, policies, and impacts of the AKP. It rightly portrays the AKP as a party of paradoxes, which constantly tries to keep a balance between generally contradictory processes?" - Ahmet T. Kuru, San Diego State University, Political Science Quarterly (Summer 2010)