Erdoğan says AKP congress to mark 'new era'

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said his ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) eighth regular congress on Feb. 23 will mark the beginning of a "new era," with potential leadership changes and party restructuring high on the agenda.

"Hopefully, we will hold our congress in an atmosphere befitting our party on Feb. 23, and together we will open the doors of a new era," Erdoğan said in an X post on Feb. 21.

Under the slogan “AK [white, clean] in its name, stability in its light,” Erdoğan is expected to address key issues, including modifications to the party’s central decision and executive board (MKYK) and the appointment of new deputy leaders.

“In our blessed journey that has changed the destiny of our beloved nation and is taking firm steps toward the Century of Türkiye, God willing, there will be no unfinished story,” Erdoğan wrote.

His speech at the congress in Ankara is expected to be shaped by feedback from more than 400,000 party members, according to Erkan Kandemir, the party’s deputy chairman responsible for the organization.

"It will be a congress befitting the AKP, where we will make people feel how we will carry Türkiye forward with every step and message in the hall," Kandemir said at a press conference at party headquarters earlier this week.

The AKP has invited representatives from nine political parties to attend the event but has notably excluded the People’s Equality and Democracy (DEM Party).

The lead-up to the congress has been underway since last September, with preparatory meetings held by the party’s youth and women’s branches.

Kandemir emphasized that the anticipated changes are not solely about personnel shifts but about crafting a new political language and method.

"What we mean by change is not the change of names, but to build a new political language and method where our experienced and young friends refresh their teams together in accordance with the AKP tradition," Kandemir told private broadcaster CNN Türk on Feb. 21.

“We do not want the changes in both our provincial and district congresses and our grand congress to be considered only through the changes in the showcase.

He also suggested that former party figures may return to key positions.

"The AKP’s greatest strength is its highly qualified cadre, the most experienced in world political life, having managed critical times during its 22 years in power," he said.

"We are looking at this issue from a broader perspective. While we are enriching our cadre with new friends, those who are tired let themselves rest for a while. Then they continue to do their jobs again."

The congress follows an extraordinary session in October 2023, during which Erdoğan was reelected as party leader. That meeting saw a major reshuffle, with 49 MKYK members losing their positions and 26 retaining their seats.