Foreign observers of Turkey believe in the myth that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul are at odds, even rivals — a notion that some quarters are trying to promote. As part of their perception marketing campaign, these quarters are trying to create the impression that Gul is on good terms with Fethullah Gulen and Gulenists organized within the state. The Gulenist media, too, are constantly feeding this impression, and Gulenists tell international platforms that they oppose Erdogan and have very good ties with Gul. That’s not true.
According to a source close to Gul, the president was already ill-disposed toward the Gulenists in 2009, when Erdogan tolerated their entrenchment in the state. Gul was irked by the situation and worried about Gulenist dominance in certain institutions. Yet, he chose to express his concerns in a moderate and diplomatic language.
