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Will Bulent Arinc, founding father of AKP, depart over dispute with Erdogan?

Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey Bulent Arinc, a voice of reason in Turkish politics, has signaled that he may retire after a very public dispute with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

It was in autumn 1997, shortly before the school year opened in Turkey. Bulent Arinc still remembers every moment of that day.

He was touring a district of Manisa — the Aegean province from which he had been elected to the national parliament in 1995 on the Welfare Party (RP) ticket. The day’s schedule included various opening ceremonies where he would socialize with locals.

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