Bülent Arınç's 'Gelecek Partisi' message to Ahmet Davutoğlu: You should have stayed in the AK Party

Former Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Bülent Arınç evaluated the political moves of Ahmet Davutoğlu, who has decided to dissolve the Gelecek Partisi. Arınç stated that he had ethically opposed Davutoğlu's decision to establish a party in opposition to the AK Party from the very beginning.

In a statement shared via his social media account, Arınç criticized Davutoğlu's decision to form a party, saying, "You should have stayed in the AK Party, loyal to our leader; you should have exercised our rights to criticism and suggestions to the fullest under this roof."

'THERE ARE TWO HOCAS IN OUR LINE'

Expressing that he personally finds Davutoğlu's decision to withdraw from politics and dissolve the party appropriate, Arınç made a notable comparison by recalling Necmettin Erbakan.

Arınç stated, "I believe this process has been an important experience for our political history and for you. There are two 'Hocas' (teachers/mentors) in our line. After our late Erbakan Hoca, you are mentioned as the second. How happy for you. I thank you for the beautiful services you have rendered to our country and our nation, and I wish you health and happiness with your wife and family."

GELECEK PARTİSİ IS CLOSING

Ahmet Davutoğlu announced on July 30 that the Gelecek Partisi, which he founded in 2019 with the claim of being a "conservative reformist new center," would withdraw from the political scene. This decision, taken after merger negotiations with the Yeniden Refah Partisi and the Saadet Partisi yielded no results, will be formalized at a dissolution congress to be held on August 22.

DAVUTOĞLU'S 'AUTHORITARIANISM' WARNING

Explaining his decision to withdraw from party politics with the words "not to be a part of the polluted political climate" and "to maintain a moral distance," Davutoğlu had criticized the Presidential Government System in his assessments last week.

Arguing that the polarization spreading from politics to society destroys the common sense of belonging, Davutoğlu warned that the pluralistic democratic legal order could be replaced by a permanent authoritarian structure. Davutoğlu also drew attention to the danger that the wave of anger caused by authoritarianism, corruption, and income inequality could turn into a revanchist counter-government.