Turkish President Abdullah Gül has hinted he is prepared to challenge Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in presidential elections next summer, according to the Guardian.
Asked during an exclusive weekend interview with the Guardian whether he would seek a second term, Gül said it was too early to make a decision. When pressed, he declined to rule out his candidacy, saying he was keeping "all options open."
After the article was published, Presidency Press Consultant Ahmet Sever said Gül had said nothing different from his previous statements about his candidacy for the 2014 presidency elections. Sever said the article's headline hinting at a battle for presidency between Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was the writer's own observation.
Gül insisted Erdoğan was a friend, not a rival, and dismissed talk of policy rifts over his more inclusive stance on issues such as alcohol use and when Muslim women may wear the headscarf.
Read more: POLITICS - President Gül signals candidacy for Turkish presidency
Asked during an exclusive weekend interview with the Guardian whether he would seek a second term, Gül said it was too early to make a decision. When pressed, he declined to rule out his candidacy, saying he was keeping "all options open."
After the article was published, Presidency Press Consultant Ahmet Sever said Gül had said nothing different from his previous statements about his candidacy for the 2014 presidency elections. Sever said the article's headline hinting at a battle for presidency between Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was the writer's own observation.
Gül insisted Erdoğan was a friend, not a rival, and dismissed talk of policy rifts over his more inclusive stance on issues such as alcohol use and when Muslim women may wear the headscarf.
Read more: POLITICS - President Gül signals candidacy for Turkish presidency
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