However, AK Party’s status as the sole ruling party and the fact that it has the parliamentary majority necessary to elect the next presidential candidate almost drives these circles mad. Some columnists discussing the issue assert that whether Erdoğan becomes the next president or not, either scenario will end in disaster. The only thing they cannot say is that AK Party must dissolve itself and reestablish following the presidential election. This is not an issue where AK Party will bow to threats. This election has two aspects for AK Party: Either Erdoğan will be elected president or he will designate the next president of Turkey. The Turkish Constitution and laws have no provisions preventing Prime Minister Erdoğan’s presidency. In other words, if Erdoğan announces his candidacy, he will become the 11th President of Turkey. He deserves to be in that position if democracy prevails in this country because his party decisively came to power in its first year and Erdoğan became prime minister despite all obstacles. All public surveys show that an election today would bring his party to power and a single-party government would once again rule Turkey.
Unless Erdoğan comes forward as a candidate, then another candidate will rise to the agenda. Developments will be shaped according to the joint decision of three figures I call the steel nucleus of the AK Party; Prime Minister Erdoğan, Parliamentary Speaker Bülent Arinc and Foreign Minister Gul. In solving the issue, I think they will take the following points into consideration for themselves and for the good of the country:
1. Turkey should keep the stability it has finally reached.
2. Turkey has very serious foreign politics issues on the agenda. The country must not be put in jeopardy due to elections.
3. AK Party should remain a single-party government for at least one more term. General elections will follow the presidential elections and AK Party should consider the situation carefully. Setting of the parliamentary candidates and previous mistakes and failures should be discussed.
4. The current problems between Çankaya, the presidential office and government should not be repeated.
5. The government and the party should be in full harmony and coordination and the party should not display any weakness.
AK Party includes wise men whose experiences and ideas Erdoğan, Arınç and Gül can profit from.
They will undoubtedly make the right decision for our country, our nation and their party.
I mentioned traps set for AK Party at the beginning of my article. The first trap is that they use the presidential election as a reason to spoil friendship, harmony and unity between Erdoğan, Arınç and Gül. My colleagues, with columns dedicated to the demands of certain people, have already started to write that these three politicians will only take their own interests into consideration.
Erdoğan is a charismatic leader. Arınç honors his office of Parliamentary Speaker with his personality; his modesty makes him one of us. Gül’s success in his office of Foreign Minister makes him a leading representative of the new generation statesmen. We believe they will do the right thing for our nation at this historical turning point for Turkey.
