Despite the efforts during Atatürk's era to eliminate Islam from Turkey's political arena, political Islam managed to remain a significant force in the country's political system. Among political parties, the Welfare Party and the Justice and Development Party are recognized as influential actors in shaping and redefining different interpretations of political Islam. Necmettin Erbakan and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as leaders of these parties, have strived during their tenures to not only preserve political Islam but also to articulate their respective visions of it within the social sphere.

This study, aiming to thoroughly understand the various perspectives on political Islam in Turkey, seeks to answer the question: "What are the similarities and differences between the Welfare Party and the Justice and Development Party, as two key proponents of Islamism in Turkey, in their approaches to political Islam?"

The findings indicate that both parties have embraced political Islam as the core of their ideology and, by avoiding violence to change the political system, have endeavored to align themselves with Turkey's democratic and secular framework. One key distinction between the two parties is the Welfare Party's comprehensive emphasis on religion's presence in society, compared to the Justice and Development Party's rejection of such an all-encompassing role. In essence, the Justice and Development Party promotes a liberal interpretation of political Islam that distinguishes itself from the traditional political Islam of the Welfare Party.