The great majority of Islamist movements in the Middle East are opposition movements. Islamists who have held the reins of government are few and far between, but it is these cases that I will now consider and my focus here is Turkey and Iran.

The case of Turkey is unique in that Islamist parties have alternated in power at various times in the country's recent political history. The Welfare Party formed the government in Turkey in 1996–7 and the Justice and Development Party (JDP) has held power since 2002. Turkey's political system is not fully democratic but, compared to most regimes in the region, contains a long-established tradition of multi-party contestation and political pluralism. As a result, Turkey offers a rare opportunity to investigate the effect not just of political but of (at least partially) democratic participation on Islamist movements. The case of Iran offers another unique perspective on the effects of political participation on Islamism. Following a popular revolution in Iran in 1979, an Islamist movement took power and captured not only the government, but the entire state apparatus which it put to work implementing an Islamist project.

The political experiences of Islamist movements in government are qualitatively different from those which continue to remain in opposition. For the former, the objective of attaining power has been achieved. They have been incorporated in the political process in their respective societies and burdened with the responsibilities of government.