With less than two weeks left before a critical referendum on switching Turkey’s parliamentary system to a presidential one, the gloves are coming off and a former president is being dragged into the ring. Abdullah Gul, a founding member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) who stepped down as president in 2014 after serving a single seven-year term, has come under fire for refusing to speak up in favor of the measure that would concentrate power in his successor Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s hands.

The controversy erupted when Gul declined to take part in an April 1 campaign rally in his native Kayseri, where Erdogan was due to speak. Erdogan decided not to go either, leaving Prime Minister Binali Yildirim to address the crowd. Gul cited his decision not to participate in any political events as the reason for his absence, but Erdogan’s allies were not satisfied. “The 'no' voter failed to surprise,” noted Duvardibi TV, a news portal whose main purpose seems to be to discredit Erdogan’s enemies, perceived or real.

Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the far-right Nationalist Action Party who is backing Erdogan, joined the chorus of rebukes. He suggested that Gul had displayed ingratitude to his former boss. When Gul campaigned to become president in 2007, Erdogan had joined him in Kayseri. Gul should have returned the favor and gone to Kayseri to support Erdogan, Bahceli observed.

Not everyone agreed. “Abdullah Gul is a prestigious figure who led Turkey when it was closest to democracy. Full stop!” tweeted Asli Aydintasbas, a prominent Turkish columnist and fellow at the European Center for Reform.