Page 41 - BNE_magazine_10_2019 kolomoisky

bne October 2019 Southeast Europe I 41
its first years in power before becoming deputy prime minister with responsibility for the economy, a role he held from 2009 to 2015. Between 2005 and 2009 he was Turkey’s chief negotiator for accession to the European Union.
Babacan said in the interview with Karar – known in Turkey as a newspaper that became home to former Erdogan-
markets, to “urgently” lower its risk premium. The erosion of the judiciary and some foreign policies under the present administration were partly to blame for the economic problems, he said.
“The government needs to be at the same distance to every citizen. The government needs to provide justice and equal opportunity. Justice is
Dissent in the ranks, though usually not public, has not been that hard to come by since the party suffered a humiliation in Ankara, Istanbul and other cities during the spring local elections. In what was widely seen as an embarrassing own goal, Erdogan – who with vigorous campaigning essentially made the vote a referendum on his leadership of the country – backed claims of polling station irregularities that forced a rerun of the Istanbul election – only to see the AKP candidate, ex-PM Binali Yildirim, who lost the initial poll narrowly, get
an absolute hammering as Istanbullers turned the contest into a test of Turkish democracy.
Former prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who fell out with Erdogan three years ago, hit out at the AKP’s economic management and Erdogan’s rhetoric after the local elections. The party last week started the process of removing him from the AKP.
Turkey’s next elections are not scheduled until 2023 but there is some speculation Erdogan might try to use the credit
taps to secure an economic bounce
that he could exploit in snap elections to consolidate his presidency before opponents such as Babacan get up
a head of steam.
“The government needs to provide justice and equal opportunity. Justice is the reason
why governments exist”
supporting journalists kicked out of pro- government media outlets – that he was working to find like-minded individuals to create a team that could lead the new party. He added that former president Abdullah Gul was supportive but not formally included in the project.
“This will take some time,” Babacan said. “We want the party to be formed before 2020. The quality is very important here.”
Babacan also talked about how Turkey’s economy needed to emerge from a spiral and, given the plentiful liquidity in world
the reason why governments exist,” Babacan was quoted as saying.
Erdogan’s warning
Erdogan, 65, lately warned AKP members that those who “get off this train will not be allowed back on”, Reuters reported.
In Sivas, central Anatolia, the president told the party faithful. “If we keep our brotherhood strong, then seeds of unrest can’t grow. Those who wanted to harm the AKP for their own political ambitions and aspirations have always been disappointed.”
CHALLENGING ERDOGAN: Another former ally walks out on Turkey’s strongman
bne IntelliNews
Another former ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has very publicly deserted the strongman amid Turkey’s economic problems and concern over growing authoritarianism in the country. Former prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu,
once seen as Erdogan’s right-hand
man, said on September 13 that he has resigned from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
In announcing his exit, Davutoglu repeated criticisms of its ability to govern and implicitly threw barbs at Erdogan’s governing style.
“The AKP, which has fallen under the control of a small team, no longer has the ability to be a solution to our country’s problems,” Davutoglu, 60, told a press conference in Ankara, according to Reuters.
“It is evident that there is no internal evaluation, that the channels for... negotiations are closed, and that there is no possibility of an internal change,” he added.
Asserting that Turkey needs a new political direction, Davutoglu asserted: “It has become a historic responsibility for us to build a new political movement.”
www.bne.eu