The resignation of former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, as well as several former and current MPs, from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has shaken Turkish politics.<\/p>\n
The AKP, \u201cwhich is now under the control of a narrow cadre, no longer has the opportunity to be a cure for the country\u2019s problems,\u201d said Davutoglu, who had recently criticized the party\u2019s policies.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis administration \u2026 will be called to account before the nation. What they want to discharge is not people, but the collective conscience,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom this day on, building a new political movement in light of our basic principles is required by our responsibility towards our nation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said splinter movements from the AKP had been unsuccessful in the past. The country\u2019s next elections are scheduled for 2023.<\/p>\n
Davutoglu was mostly known for his policy of \u201czero problems with neighboring countries,\u201d and for deepening Turkey\u2019s regional engagement. His criticism of the AKP increased after its poor performance in local elections in March.<\/p>\n
Splinter movements from the AKP have already emerged in recent months, accelerated by the party\u2019s defeat in Istanbul\u2019s mayoral elections in June.<\/p>\n
Former Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan resigned from the AKP in July, and expressed his intention to lead a new political movement. <\/p>\n
Turkey\u2019s former President Abdullah Gul is expected to support Babacan\u2019s party without formally being part of it.<\/p>\n
Increasingly critical over the erosion of the rule of law and economic recession in Turkey, Babacan said the new party will be formed before the end of the year.<\/p>\n
According to a recent poll by Ankara-based research company ORC, in a general election 11.6 percent of respondents said they would vote for Babacan\u2019s new party, while 8.5 percent said they would support Davutoglu.<\/p>\n
Karol Wasilewski, an analyst at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, said neither Davutoglu nor Babacan present a strong challenge to Erdogan or the AKP.<\/p>\n
\u201cYet they have a chance to be quite important spoilers due to the shape of Turkey\u2019s current political system,\u201d he told Arab News.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat matters for the opposition bloc is to bring votes for the AKP and its ally the MHP (Nationalist Movement Party) down to 50 percent.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said Babacan\u2019s standing in Turkish politics may rise due to the AKP\u2019s economic mismanagement and the collapse of its Syria policy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it comes to Davutoglu, I\u2019m really skeptical as I can\u2019t see any particular field in which he can present himself as a better choice than the AKP,\u201d Wasilewski added.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he\u2019ll try to concentrate on economic, foreign policy and identity issues, but I doubt he\u2019ll be successful. He\u2019s seen by many Turkish voters as an architect of the current foreign policy, and thus its failures.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wasilewski said when it comes to the economy, Babacan is more appealing than Davutoglu. The former is known as the main actor behind Turkey\u2019s economic boom for much of the 2000s.<\/p>\n
The country currently faces high inflation, soaring unemployment, rising food prices and a recession.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The resignation of former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, as well as several former and current MPs, from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has shaken Turkish politics. The AKP, \u201cwhich is now under the control of a narrow cadre, no longer has the opportunity to be a cure for the country\u2019s problems,\u201d said Davutoglu, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":109110,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[110,11,15,2],"tags":[50854,24090],"yoast_head":"\n