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Erdoğan, rising from his role as Istanbul’s mayor in the 1990s, capitalized on the dissolution of the Welfare Party and founded the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2001. The AKP quickly gained traction, leading to Erdoğan's ascension to prime minister in 2003. Initially, he pursued policies aiming to modernize Turkey and reform its military influence in governance. However, over time, Erdoğan increasingly adopted authoritarian measures, particularly after a failed coup in 2016, which served as a pretext to consolidate power significantly.