Talk of “team” ousts him from office

Erdem Gül
 
Last week’s resignation citing health grounds of Esenyurt Mayor Necmi Kadıoğlu following the operations targeting mayors in the AKP was greeted with great surprise in the party. The surprise was compounded by the fact that Kadıoğlu numbers among the figures closest to President Tayyip Erdoğan within the party,. The word doing the rounds in the lobbies is that it is not health that lies behind the resignation, but certain pronouncements made during chats internal to the party and these pronouncements being conveyed to party leadership.
 
I can summarise as follows, without making any comment, the talk in the lobbies concerning Kadıoğlu’s resignation as gleaned from people in the Istanbul AKP:
 
Closest to Erdoğan: Kadıoğlu is not a run-of-the-mill mayor. Of all the mayors who have been made to resign until now, none of them, neither Melih Gökçek nor Kadir Topbaş, is as close to Erdoğan as Kadıoğlu. In the time when Erdoğan was Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor, Kadıoğlu served in the municipality as Resources and Affiliates Department Head and performed Mayoral Consultancy services. He was one of the six individuals to be prosecuted along with Erdoğan in the smart ticket corruption trial. His name was never mooted in the operation which saw six mayors being made to resign. He was always seen as being one of the figures in the AKP who would not be ousted. He has been Esenyurt Mayor since 2004.
 
Chat among friends: What lit the fuse that lead to Kadıoğlu’s resignation was chat among friends inside the party. Kadıoğlu made some pronouncements about Erdoğan in these chats. The manner in which he spoke of Erdoğan spurred those present into action. In these chats that took place on several occasions, Kadıoğlu gave to understand that his own role in the AKP’s political success was pivotal. He made remarks in which he particularly underlined that the success was not attributable solely to Erdoğan. He indicated that certain other figures, not least himself, played the biggest role in this success. He said that, had it not been for himself and a small number of other figures, Erdoğan would never have attained this success.
 
Pronouncements documented: With Kadıoğlu’s pronouncements that he was the basic force behind Erdoğan and the party’s success given several airings, they were documented by people in the vicinity. These remarks were taken to Ankara by party people involved in the chats and conveyed to party management. The divulged pronouncements and the manner in which they were voiced made party management furious. It was decided that Kadıoğlu should step down as mayor.
 
No disciplinary procedure – let him resign: However, as he had featured highly in the party’s march to power from Istanbul, it was decided that no disciplinary procedure should be taken against Kadıoğlu and his resignation should ensue for a reason that would elicit no public objection. This decision was conveyed to Kadıoğlu and he was asked to resign. In response to this, Kadıoğlu stood down as mayor citing “health” reasons.
 
HARBINGER OF AN EARLY ELECTION
 
Kadıoğlu’s forced resignation for, among other reasons, his pronouncements in chat amongst friends is being interpreted in the party as an unprecedented move. When certain of the government’s steps with an eye on various segments of society are considered along with the operations staged within the organisation and municipalities, this increases speculation that an early election is in the offing in 2018.