Former President Abdullah Gül will not attend AKP camp, Arınç will
ANKARA
As the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) prepares for its 26th semi-annual “consultation and assessment meeting” to be held in Afyonkarahisar this weekend, former President Abdullah Gül will not attend the meeting, but former Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç will.
Prominent figures that served the ruling AKP in its history will attend the “consultation and assessment camp,” which will be the AKP’s most extensive meeting that will take place from Oct. 6 to 8 in the western province of Afyonkarahisar.
Abdullah Gül will not be present at the meeting despite the invitation, however, former parliamentary speakers, former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, prominent figures such as Hüseyin Çelik, Bülent Arınç, Sadullah Ergin, Suat Kılıç and Beşir Atalay will be in Afyonkarahisar.
Gül and Arınç are among the founding figures of the AKP, but were estranged from the party following the end of their terms.
Gül announced his retreat from politics after his term as president was over in 2014 and has not been on the political scene ever since. His absence had been interpreted as an estrangement from the AKP management, however, the comment has been refuted by AKP officials and him on numerous occasions.
Arınç, who has also served as parliamentary speaker, has been attending AKP events after his Deputy Prime Ministerial post ended in the 2015 election, where he was not on the ruling party list due to the AKP’s “third term” rule.
Restructure in AKP
The main topics of the Afyonkarahisar camp, which Erdoğan will attend for the first time after reinstating his post as AKP leader following the constitutional amendment, will be “renovation” in the party, services in the mayoralties and the six-month action plan of the ministries.
During the camp, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım and other ministers will give presentations about their projects in discussions.
It is expected Erdoğan will repeat his criticisms to the party organization, which he had characterized as succumbing to “metal fatigue,” and instruct the party with 2019 election plans.
Apart from the AKP’s future plans, the recent developments in Syria and Iraq, the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government’s (KRG) independence bid, anti-terror activities and economic developments will also be discussed.
