AKP Silent Because It Fears Crisis

"The AKP are afraid of conflict with those in the General Staff who are brandishing the truncheons. They cannot say whether Gül is a [presidential] candidate or not."

Fear of crisis

Speaking with bianet, Sancar has said that the AKP's silence should not be interpreted as the desire to keep their cards close to their chest. Rather, there is a fear of a possible crisis.

For this reason, Sancar believes that Abdullah Gül, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the AKP's "second man" will not be put forward as a candidate again.

Disagreement within AKP?

The AKP has yet to announce one or several presidential candidates.

In the aftermath of the general elections, Abdullah Gül had hinted that he interpreted the success of the AKP as a kind of people's vote of confidence in his candidacy.

While Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has avoided making any concrete statements on the topic, it is being said that he expects Gül to give up his candidacy.

Rumours have not been denied that some of the members of the AKP's Central Executive Council, which met on 6 August, have expressed fear that there may be tensions if Gül were to become president.

Sancar claims that the AKP's worries are not without foundation, pointing to the polarisation of civil and military sides on 27 April. "The secrecy does not need great analysis", she said. "It is the General Staff which is spreading silence and fear."

She added that the fact that the AKP was also guilty of a lack of transparency was another matter.

Lack of transparency a problem for democracy

This secrecy was a serious problem in the preparation of a new "civil constitution".

"We have to look at what will happen in the next legislative period. The real process behind the closed doors is the discussion of the constitution. There is no party in parliament to defend democracy, there is no left, there is no women's perspective. The independents are representatives of 'identity politics'".

This creates a "serious problem for democracy". "Who is going to discuss the freedoms of ordinary people, the institutional problems of democracy, the so-called 'Law on the discretion of civil servants', and the immunity of MPs?"

Parliament is "skewed"

Sancar drew attention to the "skew" in the make-up of parliament: "Just because this constitution is not made by the military, does not mean that it will be democratic. It may be civil, but it may not be sufficiently democratic."

"Processes forced to take place behind closed doors prevent democracy."

Gül's candidacy

The AKP had announced Gül's candidacy for president on 24 April. The General Staff had expressed its displeasure at his candidacy twice, once in a press briefing on 12 April, and then in the "e-memorandum" on its website following the boycotted elections.

In the aftermath, the general elections scheduled for October were brought forward. The AKP has increased its votes and is again in power on its own. (NZ/AG)