Over the first years after having come to power, when the Kemalists were still predominant in public life, Recep Erdogan acted very cautiously. He wouldn’t talk about the transformation of the state or the role of Islam, not even about global aspirations.
The opposition should find a candidate that would be able to defeat Recep Erdogan – says Ali Babacan, founder and leader of the Democracy and Progress Party. (DEVA). There wouldn’t be anything unusual about these words – as Babacan’s small and relatively young party is in opposition – if it hadn’t been for the fact they came from the mouth of a man who has long been one of the incumbent Turkish president’s closest associates. Together with Erdogan he established the Justice and Development Party (AKP), was minister of economy, negotiator with the EU and deputy prime minister. It’s easy to see that Babacan’s party refers to the AKP in name, though its program is to counterbalance it. DEVA means “remedy” in Turkish.
Ali Babacan is not the only one. Interestingly, it’s the party leaders not the second-row activists who have cut themselves off from Erdogan. Abdullah Gul, for instance: an old political brother-in-arms, AKP co-founder, most faithful of the faithful because he gave up his seat as prime minister. Thanks to him, on March 14, Recep Erdogan will be able to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his rule. Gul’s loyalty was later rewarded with the post of president, as which he did Erdogan priceless favors supporting all of his ideas and concepts. The idyll had lasted till the moment when Erdogan, having Gul’s ambition for nothing, decided to become president himself. Then the split occurred.
Or, let’s take Ahmet Davutoglu. He joined Erdogan’s team when AP was already a party of power first as its chief adviser, later – as head of diplomacy, finally – as party leader and prime minister. He was regarded as a strong point of Erdogan’s group. The neo-Ottoman policy of strengthening ties between the countries where the empire once stretched, is his original concept. The rupture came when Erdogan, as head of state began to limit the prime minister’s powers. Davutoglu resigned and several years later formed his own grouping – the Future Party.
Source : TVPWorld
