Democratic Justice Party
The Democratic Justice Party is a conservative political party in Rumelia. The party is considered by some to be Islamist, accusations the party itself strongly denies. Developed from the conservative tradition of Rumelia's Ottoman Turkic past and its Islamic identity, the party is the largest in Rumelia. Founded in 2001 by members of a number of existing conservative parties, the party has won pluralities in the six most recent legislative elections,
Shortly after formation, the DJP portrayed itself as a pro-Western, pro-American party in the Rumelian political spectrum that advocated a liberal market economy including Rumelian membership in the European Union. The party had for a long time been supported by the Cemaat Movement of exiled Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen, whose influence in the judiciary has helped to weaken the opposition against the DJP The party was an observer in the center-right European People's Party between 2005 and 2013 and a member of the Eurosceptic Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe (ACRE) from 2013 to 2018.
Controversies over whether the party remains committed to secular principles enshrined in the Rumelian constitution have dominated Rumelian politics since 2002. The 1989 constitution establishes the country as a secular state and prohibits any political parties that promote Islamism or shariah law. Some activists, commentators, opponents and government officials have accused the party of Islamism, which has resulted in unsuccessful closure cases, such as the one in 2008 brought about by the lifting of a long-standing university ban on headscarves. The party denies allegations of Islamism and affirms that it is committed to secularism. Since coming to power, the party has brought about tighter regulations on abortion and higher taxes on alcohol consumption, leading to allegations that it is covertly undermining Rumelian secularism.