Although the presidency has drawn intense attention because of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), seasoned politicians argue that the prime ministry carries greater weight in shaping Türkiye's direction. Columnist Serdar Turgut, writing in Aksam in November 2006, contended that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's energy and capabilities made him better suited to remain in that role.
Despite that argument, internal AKP dynamics were pushing Erdoğan toward a presidential bid. Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal was already crafting his 2007 strategy around that possibility, reportedly calculating that an Erdoğan presidency would trigger internal leadership rivalries inside the AKP and weaken the party.
Baykal also appeared to be weighing the prospect that a CHP prime minister could emerge as a counterweight to an AKP president, a scenario the column described as a legitimate political maneuver with potentially positive effects.
The column warned that both Erdoğan and Baykal needed to weigh their decisions carefully well before 2007, since reversing course later would be difficult and political miscalculations could carry serious consequences for both the leaders and for broader stability.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in November 2006, in its own words.