This woman might be wild card who stops Erdogan
As Turkey's ruling political party struggles to revive its mojo, a challenger is rising who could take on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) marked its 16th anniversary this week, and its history has been an amazing story. A party that was crafted by the disheartened of banned political Islamist parties and who called themselves the “movement of the virtuous” spent 15 of those 16 years as the party in power — the longest period for any party in recent Turkish history.
Pompous celebrations and ceremonies were held to underscore the might of its leader, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Some 6,000 people were invited to the main ceremony.
One of the expected guests was the co-leader of the “movement of the virtuous,” former President Abdullah Gul. Yet he did not attend. In fact, his absence is one indicator of how the “birthday party” turned out to be bland.
Even before the soulless celebrations, there was talk in AKP quarters about the “fatigue” of the ruling party. Erdogan’s return to the chairmanship wasn't enough to rejuvenate the party. Erdogan himself admits the party apparatus has lost its vigor.
