He announced the first move of the post-Erdoğan power plan: The strongest candidate for the nomination...

Journalist Deniz Zeyrek made striking assessments in his column regarding the change of duty that echoed in AK Party circles. Speaking about the dismissal of Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun and the appointment of İbrahim Duran in his place, Zeyrek stated, "I asked my sources in the AK Party, and most of their answers were the same: 'It was not a surprise, we were expecting it.'"

Zeyrek argued that this change was not merely a bureaucratic handover, but a sign that "post-Erdoğan" scenarios have begun to take shape.

"IT WOULD NOT BE A SURPRISE IF HAKAN FİDAN BECOMES A CANDIDATE"

In his article, Zeyrek included a striking interpretation regarding the behind-the-scenes of the change of duty:

"This announcement is a clear expression that Erdoğan cannot be a candidate again (due to the Constitution) and that the AK Party will need a new Presidential candidate to maintain its power. It is not difficult to guess that name, starting from the Altun-Duran change."

The experienced journalist emphasized that Hakan Fidan would emerge as the strongest presidential candidate of the ruling bloc in the post-Erdoğan era, saying, "The rise of this name would not be a surprise."

In line with the information he received from AKP circles, Zeyrek wrote that Altun used "more authority and budget than ministers" in the presidential system, which caused some discomfort within the party.

Conveying that one source said, "He had carved out a massive space for himself, he even fell out with the family," Zeyrek stated that Altun also experienced open tension with the Sabah-ATV group.

Zeyrek stated, "I told the sources I spoke to, in all my innocence, 'We thought he would be made an ambassador or a minister.' The answer I received was always the same: It was never on the agenda."

Commenting on Altun's new place of duty, the Human Rights and Equality Institution of Turkey, Zeyrek described this appointment as a "demotion."

He made the assessment, "It is an institution with a budget of 16 million TL, in a place where no one goes. Being appointed to this position is not a rise in terms of political career; it is a retreat."

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF ERDOĞAN CANNOT BE A CANDIDATE?

According to the current Constitution, for Erdoğan to be a candidate for a third time, a constitutional amendment or an early election is required. However, neither the majority required for a constitutional amendment exists, nor is Erdoğan leaving the door open for an early election.

In a statement he made recently, Erdoğan had closed the early election debates for now by saying, "Since the Constitution and election law have not changed, the election is in 2028."