What will Gül do now?

The prevention of President Abdullah Gül’s return to politics is an important political indicator. Gül’s exclusion from politics is indicative of how the Justice and Development Party (AKP) has changed its stance from the inclusive, reformist, moderate and center-oriented policies it followed from its inception in 2002 until 2010 to more radical and ideological politics.

It is possible to see the difference of orientation between the EU-referenced, inclusive discourse that the AKP had between 2002 and 2010 and its tough and ideological language of these past years.

Gül, on the other hand, has been a representative of a moderate and inclusive politics at every level he has worked in since his debut in politics.

How was Gül excluded?

Actually, the first step to prevent Gül from re-entering politics was taken in October 2012. The article that stipulated that former presidents could not stand as a candidate was inserted into the Presidential Election Law passed by the government. The reason was not to prevent former presidents Ahmet Necdet Sezer or Süleyman Demirel from being president but, of course, to prevent Gül’s possible candidacy for a second term. Resentful statements were made by Çankaya about this bill, and the Constitutional Court later canceled it.

What was expected in 2014 was for Gül to be the general-secretary of the AKP and then the prime minister of Turkey. According to public polls, 80 percent of the party’s core supported him.

This was prevented by scheduling the party congress for Aug. 27. Gül could have been a candidate if the congress had been scheduled for just one day later! This way, the right of delegates to freely elect their new...