With his political plans for the future thrown into uncertainty due to machinations within the Justice and Development Party (AKP), Turkey’s outgoing president, Abdullah Gul, is leaving office with a grudge against the inner circle of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who will be sworn in as president on Aug. 28.
Gul now sees better how Erdogan loyalists operated behind the scenes for months to sideline him and ensure he did not assume any position in the AKP that might pose complications for Erdogan. Gul made his dissatisfaction over the situation clear while talking to reporters during his Aug. 19 farewell reception at the presidential palace.