Politics of Conservatism in Turkey

The 1990s have witnessed growing electoral support for parties to the right of the political spectrum in Turkish politics. As the political left shrunk, the political gravity in electoral and party politics shifted toward the Islamic revivalist and ultra‐nationalist Turkish parties. This article examines the nature of this ideological shift, with special focus on the politics of conservatism. The findings of major survey research conducted in April–May 2006 on the sociopolitical orientations and values of Turkish voters are utilized to delineate the characteristics of conservative voting behavior. A major finding of this survey is that most voters tend to support a conservative party such as the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, AKP) out of expected economic benefits rather than purely ideological beliefs.