Ankara - A controversial book claiming to expose the extent of the rift between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his predecessor Abdullah Gul has shaken Turkish politics after legislative elections and sparked speculation the ex-leader may plan a comeback.
The book, written by a former adviser to Gul, exposes publicly for the first time the acrimonious and bitterly personal disputes between the co-founders of the ruling Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP).
It was published just days after June 7 legislative elections where the AKP lost its majority for the first time since it came to power in 2002, triggering talk Gul is embarking on a campaign to replace Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as AKP leader.
Gul was briefly premier when the AKP first came to power in 2002 and then served as foreign minister before becoming president in 2007.
He served his full term until August 2014 -- when Erdogan assumed the post -- and then slipped into the background.
While they are both pious Muslims, the more mild-mannered Gul contrasts with the increasingly divisive Erdogan, who has been further ruffled by the ruling party's loss of its majority in the polls.
AFP
