With Türkiye's presidential election roughly a year away, political maneuvering inside the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is already well underway, with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the center of speculation about who will ultimately seek the post.
Erdogan has given no indication of his intentions, but key figures are already positioning themselves. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, who briefly served as prime minister from November 2002 to March 2003 before Erdogan assumed the role, is widely seen as preparing for a leadership transition. His cultivation of relationships with European Union officials and American counterparts underscores that readiness.
Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek, regarded as a shrewd reader of political trends, has publicly backed Gul for the premiership, dismissing earlier suggestions that the two men were rivals. Gokcek told the author he himself wished only to serve another mayoral term.
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and State Minister Abdullatif Sener are reportedly adopting a cautious, wait-and-see posture. Several other senior figures believe they could be contenders if Erdogan opts out of the presidential race.
Opposition parties anticipate that the election process will generate serious political tension and that the AKP will struggle to manage it. Broadly, all electoral calculations, including those for parliamentary elections, are seen as hinging on the outcome at the presidential level.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2006, in its own words.