Turkish President Erdogan welcomed on Friday the possible candidacy of his predecessor, Abdullah Gül, in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
"The issue of candidacy is, of course, Mr. Gul's decision," Erdogan told reporters after Friday prayers in the capital, Ankara. "A decision to that end (to stand) would be good."
Gül is among the founders of the ruling Justice and Development Party, along with Erdogan. Rumors of his return to the party ahead of the June 7 elections had been rejected last month by AK Party spokesperson Besir Atalay. Gul had earlier hinted that he would make a comeback to the "movement that I helped launch."
In 2002, Gül was the first prime minister of the AK Party's twelve-year rule, acting in that capacity for a mere five months before leaving the office to Erdogan, the most prominent leader of the AK Party movement.
Though they have their differences on issues such as security versus freedoms, and expressed different opinions regarding the Gezi Park anti-government protests in 2013, Gul and Erdogan have a long history of comradeship, as the two leading figures in the Turkish political arena. Rumors of discord between them have been denied more than once, by way of mutual gestures and common statements of agreement.
#Erdoğan
#Abdullah Gül
#election
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