Power game within the AK Parti

Turkish President Tayyip Erdo?an is gathering the cabinet today, March 9, for the second time since he assumed power last August, before the dust has even settled on the debates after the first such meeting chaired by Erdo?an on Jan. 19.

The first meeting was quite tense. Before an eight-and-a-half hour meeting, at which the president was briefed on six key items, Erdo?an and Davuto?lu had an 80-minute one-on-one meeting, after which Davuto?lu did not even try to hide his tension from the cameras as they entered the room together. he sat with a long face in the line with the other ministers ? not sharing the head of the table as an acknowledgement to his position, as all former prime ministers have been allowed to do.

But the tension between the two had started almost a month before that meeting, when Erdo?an?s unofficial adviser, former Transport Minister Binali Y?ld?r?m, took the liberty to go public and announce that the president would call Davuto?lu?s cabinet for a meeting.

In hindsight, it is possible to say that was the moment when Davuto?lu, who has been 100 percent harmonious with Erdo?an in whatever he says, remembered his position and decided to use his powers as prime minister.

After that point, Erdo?an reportedly started to complain that Davuto?lu was doing things ? such as drafting laws - without getting his consent in advance. These things are perfectly constitutional but apparently not acceptable for Erdo?an.

Then came the resignation of Hakan Fidan as head of the National Intelligence Organization (M?T). Despite being a key figure in talks with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) in pursuit of a political settlement to Turkey?s chronic Kurdish problem, it had been rumored for some time that he...