Will Bulent Arinc, founding father of AKP, depart over dispute with Erdogan?
Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey Bulent Arinc, a voice of reason in Turkish politics, has signaled that he may retire after a very public dispute with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
It was in autumn 1997, shortly before the school year opened in Turkey. Bulent Arinc still remembers every moment of that day.
He was touring a district of Manisa — the Aegean province from which he had been elected to the national parliament in 1995 on the Welfare Party (RP) ticket. The day’s schedule included various opening ceremonies where he would socialize with locals.
Arinc’s oldest son Fatih, named after the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, went along — unwillingly. Fatih did not like such political events, but his father insisted that he join him.
Arinc shook many hands and made speeches that morning as Fatih quietly watched. It was a Friday, so at noon father and son went to the mosque and prayed together. Then, it was the same thing all over again: more handshakes, more promises. Wherever they went, constituents surrounded Arinc, and he listened to their qualms, always giving them his full attention. At one such stop, Fatih got in a car and left.
