'Türkiye is a force to reckon with both regionally, globally'

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye has undergone a change in the past 20 years under the Justice and Development (AK) Party, the country's communications director said on Monday.

"Today, Türkiye is a force to reckon with both regionally and globally. The AK Party and its leader, President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan, stands tall today having played the leading role in our country’s development over the past two decades," Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter to mark the 21st founding anniversary of the AK Party.

Founded on Aug. 14, 2001, the party burst onto the political scene under the leadership of Erdogan, who became the prime minister in 2003 and has served as the president since 2014.

Altun said the party has charted a "unique path" for Türkiye since 2001, adding that it has fought to increase people’s welfare and elevate the country’s international stature under the leadership of Erdogan.

He also noted that the AK Party has transformed Türkiye's democracy, economic development, and foreign policy, stressing that the list of accomplishments is a "long one."

Hailing Erdogan's efforts to navigate the nations through some of the "most turbulent times," Altun said: "He stood against any internal or external efforts to place a yoke over our people’s national will and disrupt our democracy."

"The secret of AK Party’s incredible success owes itself to nothing but the Turkish nation’s support for the basic tenets of the cause: primacy of national will, democratic institutions, economic development, peace and stability in our neighborhood and around the world," Altun said, adding that the AK Party continues to work hard to further Türkiye's goals.