After the resignation of Babacan .. What is the future of the Turkish Justice and Development Party and its unity?

Zaher al-Baik-Ankara

The loss of Turkey's AK Party for the re-election of Istanbul's main mayor has not been affected without affecting the political scene. The party, which has not lost any elections since its arrival to power, is being tested for its popularity after the resignation of one of its founders, Ali Babacan.

"I was one of the founders of the Justice and Development Party in 2001 and I am proud that I contributed as much as possible to the development of our country. During my tenure, I was faithful to the principles and values ​​declared by our party, but in the post of party, In recent years, there has been a deep gap between real work and principles in many kinds of activities, which is a great shock to me. "

"The world is changing rapidly and Turkey is facing many challenges," he said, noting that the country needs a new vision for the future and that analysts, strategists and new programs must respond to the spirit of the times.

He said he felt with many of his colleagues the historical responsibility to carry out this work, which he believes will be possible in the event of the involvement of new cadres, adding: "In this context, the continuation of my membership in the Justice and Development is impossible."

Observers say: Although no new party is expected to be as strong as the "Justice and Development" in its beginnings, it is not reassuring to justice and development in the case of polarization and convergence of fortunes in the last election stations, and the unity of some of the opposition forces recently.

ID card
Babajan was born in 1967 and entered politics in 2002 as a founder and member of the AK Party. He was elected a member of the lower house of parliament from Ankara in the same year and was appointed minister of economic affairs to become the youngest member of the 35-year-old cabinet.

After two years of work, following years of poor economic crisis, he became Minister of Foreign Affairs and Negotiations with the European Union. He was appointed Minister of Economy in 2007 after Recep Tayyip Erdogan was elected Prime Minister. , And Abdullah Gul as President of the Republic, and remained Foreign Minister until 2009.

New Party
In an article, Babakan wrote that Babacan was seeking to establish a new party, which was likely to be called "freedom and justice" or "freedom and well-being." Babacan then asked that there be no similarity with the AKP or the Welfare Party Founded by the late Necmettin Erbakan.

She then suggested the name "freedom and law" which Babacan supporters believe is more appropriate for political philosophy and current social demands, explaining that they wanted to launch the party in September, but some say it may be announced this month.

"Gul will be a game maker and spiritual leader for the aspiring politician, and he will provide the necessary support for him, while he will remain behind the scenes," she said.

Some Turkish media speculate that the country may be formed by several other parties, all of them by former politicians of justice and development, most notably Ahmed Dawood Oglu, who is different in his perceptions of the rest and still a member of the ruling party.

Facing challenges
"The movements of Babacan and his friends will not be so easy," Erdogan's leader Rasul Toussoun told Al Jazeera.net. "Erdogan's rival" needs a lot of adventure. "

"His influence on the party with Erdogan's uncontested presence will be weak, and there may be a negative reflection that he left the party after he took over," said Tuson, who worked with Babacan in the party and the foreign ministry. Positions through him ".

He added that "Justice and Development" achieved the aspirations of citizens in 2001 because of the political blockage and economic crises, winning the majority of parliament and the form of government alone, and is not expected any new party to be the same strength in its beginnings, the circumstances of the country today is different, and the ruling party is still strong.

Tusun predicted that Babacan's new party would gain from the grassroots "Justice and Development" base because it enjoys Gul's support and is expected to be joined by a number of "Justice and Development" deputies.

To meet this challenge, Tuson stressed the need for change, real corrections and containment of former leaders to play a real role within the party.

Recently, the newspaper "Khobar Turk" quoted sources as saying that Babacan handed Erdogan a file containing remarks on the new presidential system and economic performance, and that Erdogan offered to work together to solve problems from within the party, but the latter insisted on leaving the party.

"This has been repeated a lot in the past, and attempts to establish new parties have not been successful. It is difficult, and you should not stick to it, but if you want to do so, do it as soon as possible," Erdogan told Babacan.