The AKP was founded on remnants of the Virtue Party and the Welfare Party, both of which were shut down by the Constitutional Court for fostering religious activity.
Ne de olsa AKP, her ikisi de dinci faaliyetleri besledikleri gerekçesiyle Anayasa Mahkemesi tarafından kapatılan Fazilet Partisi ve Refah Partisi'nin küllerinden doğdu.