Former President Abdullah Gül has reportedly balked at the prospect of returning to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) as a deputy after both President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu indicated support for a possible political role in the party.
According to Hürriyet columnist Taha Akyol, who is close to Gül, the former president made it clear to his aides and close friends that he won't be seeking a seat in Parliament in the upcoming elections in June.
Akyol said Gül has been plotting a different chart for his career after the presidency and positioning himself as a respectable statesman that shares his opinion on national and international platforms. He underlined that Gül tried to become an inclusive president during his terms in office and wanted to protect that reputation.
Mehmet Özhaseki, the former mayor of Kayseri, Gül's hometown, and candidate from the AK Party in the June elections, also said he sees little chance for Gül to return to politics after serving as president.
Özhaseki, who is close to Gül, underlined that there is no much enthusiasm on the part of Gül to return to the AK Party under the current circumstances. He floated the idea that Gül may be nominated to the position of secretary-general in the United Nations by the Turkish government.
Gül's possible candidacy has caused a stir among AK Party deputies, dividing the party between supporters of Gül and those who endorse the leadership of Erdoğan and his caretaker prime minister and party chairman, Davutoğlu.
Both Erdoğan and Davutoğlu are uneasy about the possible return of the former president to the ruling party that he helped establish, fearing that Gül may orchestrate the takeover of the party with the support of Erdoğan's foes.
The AK Party's sliding in the polls, which created anxiety among many deputies that the party may fail to secure enough seats in the elections to establish a single-party government, prompted many to seek an alternative leader to replace Davutoğlu and limit the interference of Erdoğan's polarizing attitude in the governance of the country.
According to speculations circulating in Ankara, Gül decided to wait for the right moment to emerge as a leader to bring unity in the ranks of the AK Party, while the government is set to face more hurdles in the management of the economy and politics.
Gül reportedly calculated that even if the AK Party wins the elections, the new government will not survive the full term because of growing challenges it faces within and outside of the party.
In the current Parliament, there are more than 60 deputies including Cabinet members who are loyal to Gül. The former president's command of loyalty among many in the ruling AK Party has created apprehension among his competitors including Erdoğan and Davutoğlu.
Responding to a question on the possibility of Gül's candidacy, Davutoğlu said on Feb. 19 that both he and Erdoğan were in talks with Gül, but the former president has no "pressure” to return to politics.
"It is too early to discuss the matter. However, there is no pressure [to that effect] and suitable conditions have not yet emerged," Davutoğlu said when asked if he was considering extending an invitation to Gül to stand for Parliament.
On Feb. 26, AK Party spokesman Beşir Atalay dismissed the prospects of Gül's return, saying that based on the former president's own remarks Gül will not be a candidate.
However, the drop in the polls forced Davutoğlu and Erdoğan to reverse their position on Gül's return.
“It would be a source of pride for us all if [former] Mr. President takes up a major position in the AK Party or returns to politics with the AK Party,” Davutoğlu told reporters in New York late on Friday. “The decision is up to him, but he does not even need an invitation. … We would tell him ‘welcome' if such a thing happens.”
Davutoğlu's remarks came hours after Erdoğan made a surprising statement in favor of Gül's possible return to politics, saying it would be “good and fitting.” Gül handed over his presidential post to Erdoğan in August and has kept a low profile since then.
The Cumhuriyet daily's Mustafa Halif, in a news analysis on Sunday, said if Gül returns to the AK Party, he will do so as prime minister. Halif claimed that Gül is expected to be the new prime minister once he is elected as chairman of the AK Party in the party general council on Sept. 27.
Until Sept. 27, Gül may serve as Parliament speaker once he is elected as an AK Party deputy in the June elections, Halif said.
According to Halif, AK Party deputies who were with Gül during the founding of the party have lobbied for the former president to return to the party, which has been in a difficult period since the corruption investigation that was revealed on Dec. 17, 2013, implicating ministers, businessmen from inner circles of the party and Erdoğan.
In comments on Gül's possible bid to run for Parliament, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said the AK Party is apparently seeking to replace Davutoğlu with Gül.
"It seems the AKP [AK Party] is not happy with Davutoğlu. They are looking for alternatives [for leadership]," he told reporters on Saturday.
Source: http://www.todayszaman.com/national_former-president-gul-balks-at-candid...
