Fragmenting faith: the splintered landscape of Turkish political Islam in the 2023 elections

In the 2023 election cycle, the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) long-lasting dominance was challenged by emerging Islamist parties, including the New Welfare Party (YRP), the Free Cause Party (HÜDA-PAR), the Felicity Party (SP), and the Future Party (GP). This article examines the growing polarisation within Turkish political Islam, which split into two main blocs in 2023: populist Islamists in the ruling People’s Alliance and liberal Islamists in the opposition Nation’s Alliance. These five parties diverged on three core issues: a) the meaning of democracy, b) the political system and horizontal accountability, and c) the role of elections and meaning of dissent. The study shows how ideological convictions shaped these alliances, highlighting Islamism’s flexible, pluralistic, and evolving role in Turkish politics.