Splits hit Erdogan’s party: Two senior AKP members resign

Asmaa al-Batakoshi

Resignations continue to hit Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) after two members resigned on Friday, November 8.

The two resigning members agreed that their resignation was the result of internal party problems that prevented them from being able to express their opinions or participate in decision-making.

According to the Turkish news website Ahval, the first resignation was from Isa Mesih Şahin, former AKP for the Kadikoy district in Istanbul.

Şahin said that the AKP is controlled by a small cadre and has moved away from its founding principles, closing all channels of self-criticism, consultation and joint decision-making.

He said in a tweet that there is no longer any possibility of change within the ruling party.

Meanwhile, the second to submit his resignation was Fahri Usta, who is known for his closeness to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to Ahval.

In turn, Usta tweeted, “I resigned in protest against the policies of those who run the party.”

The resignation of these two members is just the latest in a series of resignations from Erdogan’s AKP.

The resignation follows that of Istanbul MP Mustafa Yeneroglu on October 30 under pressure from Erdogan following criticism directed at him, according to the website of the opposition newspaper Yeniçag.

Mustafa Ozturk, a former AKP MP from Bursa, also resigned. He pointed out that he joined the team of former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who is seeking to establish a new party, according to Turkish online news portal OdaTV on Thursday, October 24.

Turkey’s ruling party has long seen a series of resignations, most notably Davutoglu, former Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, former Turkish President Abdullah Gül, a student of Welfare Party founder Necmettin Erbakan. They represent three icons from among Erdogan’s old comrades who have split and decided to launch a new party opposed to the Turkish president and rivaling him in the upcoming presidential elections in 2023.

Since the AKP was defeated for the second time in Istanbul’s municipal elections on June 23, there have been increasing reports of splits within the party, with the number reaching 60,000 resignations, according to several recent statistics.

Turkey’s Court of Cassation announced last July that AKP membership declined in one year by almost 800,000 members, from 10.7 million members to only 9.9 million members.