Former president agrees to interview after long silence, dodges question on why he avoids politics
“So much is said and written about you, aren’t you just a bit riled up by any of it?” the former president was asked.
Turkey’s 11th president, Abdullah Gül, broke his long silence to give an interview to OdaTV on Friday in which he refrained from answering a question about why he doesn’t respond to comments aimed at him.
“So much is said and written about you, aren’t you just a bit riled up by any of it?” the former president was asked.
“I said I wouldn’t interfere in daily politics the day I stepped down from the presidency. Anything to the contrary would be unbecoming,” he said in response.
He also shied away from commenting on rumors about him and former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu preparing to launch a new political party to rival President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), of which Gül was a founding member.
While the OdaTV article did not include many direct quotes from Gül, its author said he spoke respectfully about Erdoğan despite their differing views.
The piece also said Gül was worried about the latest developments in Turkey following the local elections of March 31.
Source: Turkish Minute
