The AKP, led by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has ruled Turkey with a large majority in parliament since 2002. During this time Turkey has had good relations with the West, but also cordial ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran and a more pro-Palestinian policy.[2] It has had vigorously contested, "substantially free and fair" elections, a vibrant culture,[3] and has undergone an economic boom, developing a "large and growing middle class."[1] However, as of summer 2013 and the crushing of the Taksim Gezi Park protests, some commentators complained that the model has come "unstuck".[4]