The debate within the AKP surrounding the “fund crisis” has taken on a new dimension with allegations of an internal power struggle. Aydın Ünal, a former speechwriter for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and a former AKP deputy, argued in his column in Yeni Şafak that the crisis might have turned into an “inside” move against Erdoğan.
Ünal wrote that discussions regarding a “Turkey without Erdoğan” or an “AKP without Erdoğan,” which were thought to begin after the elections expected in 2027 or 2028, may have been brought forward due to recent developments. The article poses the question: “Could Erdoğan’s foundation be being undermined by leaving potential risks, primarily the fund crisis, unresolved?”
ÜNAL EMPHASIZES ‘INTERNAL FACTIONS’
Ünal had previously stated that the potential attack on Erdoğan via the financial crisis was “different from previous ones,” suggesting that this time the trap might have been set from within. In his latest column, he argued that the crisis has not been sufficiently clarified, that those responsible have not been sidelined, and that there have been contradictory decisions in judicial processes.
The article states that the suspicion of a plan being hatched from within the party against Erdoğan has strengthened, noting that “while the crisis should have been further clarified, it is becoming more shrouded in darkness every day.” Ünal voiced this claim by emphasizing “internal factions” rather than the usual rhetoric of “external forces.”
Ünal’s assessments are interpreted as one of the examples showing that discussions about positioning for the post-Erdoğan era in the AKP are no longer just rumors in the corridors, but are now being openly written about by columnists close to the government.
In the allegations linked to the fund crisis, it is claimed that many citizens have been victimized and that some individuals involved have ties to the AKP. However, the political dimension of the debate also brings to the fore the question of whether the crisis has become a tool for an internal party reckoning.
Ünal’s remarks have made the expectation that the real reckoning within the AKP would wait until after the elections a subject of debate. For this reason, the claim that new leaks and new names could emerge within the party over the fund crisis is being closely watched in Ankara’s political circles.
News Source: 12punto
