Formed last year, the AKP has drawn many former members of the Virtue party, which the constitutional court banned in June 2001 for ''activities contrary to the principle of the secular republic." Turkey has outlawed a number of other Islamist parties over the past decade.
Format anul trecut, AKP a atras multi membri ai partidului Virtutii, pe care Curtea Constitutionala l-a interzis in Iunie 2001 pentru "activitati contrare principiilor republicii laice". Turcia a interzis cateva alte partide islamiste pe parcursul ultimilor zece ani.