Ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Spokesman Beşir Atalay said on Thursday that former president and AK Party co-founder Abdullah Gül will not be a candidate in the June elections, citing remarks Gül himself had made in the past.
Speaking at a press conference at the AK Party headquarters in Ankara, Atalay was speaking on recent political developments when he was asked if the former president would run in the general elections slated for June 7.
“He won't be a candidate according to his own remarks,” Atalay said.
Gül, Turkey's 11th president, was last year replaced by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in August's elections. Although Gül, who served seven years as president, had signaled he would return to the party after his presidential tenure is over, he wasn't able to take on any role in the party after completing his term.
“I was a founder of this party, its first prime minister and president. Of course I will return to my party when my presidency is over. It is only natural for me," he had said.
However, AK Party officials agreed to hold a special congress on Aug. 27 to elect their new leader to replace Erdoğan as AK Party leader, before Gül left office. Erdoğan later announced that the AK Party administration would not change until the next routine congress, which is slated for 2015. Erdoğan's implication was that Gül should not expect to occupy a significant position within the party until 2015.
Source: http://www.todayszaman.com/national_ak-party-spokesman-says-gul-will-not...
