It was back in 2007 that then-Prime Minister and current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan started to hold all the reins in the party. Particularly after winning elections for a third time in 2011 with half the vote, the AK Party, apparently intoxicated with power, became more and more authoritarian and started to use the powers of the state against dissidents, considering itself to represent the state.

The elimination of those who spoke out against mismanagement intimidated those who chose to remain in the party into self-censorship. “When the freedom to express one's views was restricted, corruption began. When the rot is there, it is not possible to fight bans or corruption and you cannot eradicate poverty,” Yalçınbayır, said.

The general public got acquainted with the authoritarian face of the government mainly with the environmentalist Gezi Park protests of the summer of 2013, which rocked the country. Then-Prime Minister Erdoğan described Twitter as a “nuisance” at the time because it allowed young people to easily communicate with one another to organize protests.

Erdoğan revealed his true colors when he described those who took part in protests as “looters” to demonize them.

According to Dengir Mir Mehmet Fırat, another founding member of the ruling party who cut off ties with it years ago, the AK Party has become a nightmare for Turkish society because it has abandoned the course it once espoused.

Then came an even bigger eye-opener for all. Two sweeping graft probes that went public on Dec. 17 and 25, 2013 revealed that leading members of the government were involved up to their necks in corruption. All that has happened since the two graft probes became public provides ample evidence that Turkey has failed in the fight against corruption, with the government having done its best to sweep claims of widespread corruption under the rug.