Turkey's ruling AKP to announce presidential nominee in lavish meeting

The Justice and Development Party (AKP) is set to announce its presidential candidate on July 1 in Ankara in a meeting comprising more than 4,000 party officials together. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is the most likely contender for the ruling party.

The party has invited its former and current deputies, ministers, deputy ministers, mayors, members of the party’s central decision-making bodies, party delegates, head of provincial branches and its founding members, as well as some 250 journalists and columnists for the meeting.

It has hired the Ankara Trade Chambers’ (ATO) Congresium for the special event that has an approximated 4,000-seat capacity. Intense security measures will be taken inside and around the Congresium and those who have special cards given by the party will be able to enter to the hall.

The meeting will begin at 11:30 a.m. local time and will feature the AKP’s 12 years in government in a cine-vision screening. It is expected to highlight the party’s successes under Erdoğan’s leadership before the announcement of his candidacy.

The announcement is expected to be made by deputy AKP leader Mehmet Ali Şahin, following Erdoğan’s speech to thank his party fellows.

“Long studies have been carried out by all of our party’s bodies. The overwhelmingly tendency was to appoint our prime minister as the presidential candidate. Presidency is his right; he’s the most appropriate candidate,” deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay told Kanal 24 late June 28. 

Erdoğan concluded lengthy consultations within his party and with nongovernmental organizations and held his last meeting with President Abdullah Gül June 29. Although Gül...