Brought to the agenda with claims of an 'internal coup' and a 'triple gang': Harsh reaction from the Palace to Davutoğlu

Gelecek Party Chairman Ahmet Davutoğlu, in his assessment of the process leading to his departure from the prime ministry in 2016, claimed that his powers within the party were restricted because he was insistent on implementing the Political Ethics Law.

Describing the process he went through, Davutoğlu said, "I was faced with a choice between morality and my seat. That night, I got up for the tahajjud prayer and made my decision; I prayed, 'Do not grant me power where there is no morality.'" While recounting this, he referred to certain party executives who opposed him at the time as a "triple gang."

Shortly after Davutoğlu's statements, Chief Advisor to the President Mustafa Akış responded harshly via social media. Using the phrase "our second-to-last prime minister," Akış criticized Davutoğlu and reminded him that there was a time gap between the announcement of the Political Ethics Law and his departure from the prime ministry.

Akış stated, "During your term as the second-to-last prime minister, as soon as you became prime minister, you, along with the gang around you and with the backing of international powers, attempted to first neutralize and then liquidate our President. What you call transparency was not a well-intentioned reform movement; on the contrary, it was part of a smear campaign on your 'sacred path' suggesting that 'those before us were dirty, we are clean.'"

"TRIPLE GANG" DEBATE

Mustafa Akış defended Binali Yıldırım, Berat Albayrak, and Süleyman Soylu—the figures criticized by Davutoğlu—claiming that these individuals took action to protect the fundamental legal principles of the party. Akış argued that Davutoğlu attempted to change the DNA of the AK Party and that the organization resisted when he tried to steer the party with the teams he worked with.

On this matter, Akış said, "When you attempted to change the party's DNA with this and many other such political maneuvers, naturally, the organization that owns the AK Party and its highest representative body stood up for its legal rights and took the authority to appoint provincial chairs out of your hands. It was precisely because you targeted Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's leadership in this way that the people you call a 'triple gang' and many of our friends alongside them stood against you. May God be pleased with all those friends, especially Binali Yıldırım, Berat Albayrak, and Süleyman Soylu."

At the end of his statement, Akış criticized Davutoğlu for bringing religious concepts into the agenda and concluded his remarks with the following:

• "Our esteemed, ambitious penultimate prime minister, many of the people you are now in alliance with, who meet with us in corners and shadows, are saying, 'Please, save us from our ambitious penultimate prime minister.'
• Therefore, whoever you are talking to in corners and shadows, please protect their rights as well. Do not make them a topic of gossip in front of the public. It is never clear what those who speak in corners and shadows say to you, or what they say to us.
• Finally, our dear penultimate prime minister, please do not involve our Miraj night or your Tahajjud prayers in your lies and ambitions. You can make statements to the public without saying these things. We already believe that you are a Muslim."