Gov't believes Babacan's main goal is to make Gül run against Erdoğan in presidential elections

Duvar English

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) officials believe that Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) leader Ali Babacan aims to make former president Abdullah Gül a presidential candidate.

The government has been closely following the efforts of Babacan and Future Party leader Ahmet Davutoğlu, sources told Duvar, adding that they have no chance of success in the elections.

Both Babacan and Davutoğlu are former high-level AKP officials who resigned from the party over differences in opinion. They then founded their opposition parties.

Gül, meanwhile, is not a member of any of the said parties, but is known with providing outside support to Babacan.

Regarding Davutoğlu, government officials say that he pursues his own personal ambitions.

AKP officials said that both parties aim to prevent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan from winning the presidential elections in the first round of voting, but added that Erdoğan is sure to win even if a second round is held.

An AKP official also claimed that the new parties will form a right-wing alliance with İYİ (Good) Party and the Felicity Party to ensure that there's a second round, which would be the third alliance in the Turkish political scene.

The presidential system has made it necessary for parties to form alliances, with the AKP allied with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The opposition block consists of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), İYİ Party and the Felicity Party.

CHP politicians, however, slammed the claims of a third alliance, saying that the expansion of the current opposition alliance is necessary to defeat the government.

'New parties to hold congresses in August or September'

Separately, DEVA and Future parties will reportedly hold their congresses in August or September, allowing them to compete in elections if they're held after February.

According to Turkish law, a political party has to finalize its organization process in more than half of the cities in Turkey and hold its first convention six months before the election date.

If a political party has a group in parliament with 20 lawmakers, it will have the right to participate in the elections and present a presidential candidate. The party also becomes eligible to get financial aid from the Treasury for the elections.