“Those who betray will pay a heavy price,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Friday, referring to former allies who have been engaged in efforts to establish a new political party, the Medyascope news website reported.
Speaking at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) convention with local branch officials, Erdoğan said they had won 755 municipalities in March 31’s local elections, adding that they still needed to reevaluate their overall performance.
“Some people are trying to establish new parties; don’t pay any attention to them,” he told his fellow party members.
Former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and former economy chief Ali Babacan have reportedly been involved in separate talks to establish new political parties.
While keeping Davutoğlu out of the picture, Babacan is accepting support from former President Abdullah Gül, who has long been critical of President Erdoğan.
Babacan recently announced he had resigned from the AKP, stressing that the party has moved away from its founding principles.
Davutoğlu, meanwhile, criticized Erdoğan for trying to control everything, referring to his resignation from the office of prime minister at the request of Erdoğan.
