Karar Newspaper's Ahmet Taşgetiren and Yıldıray Oğur have interviewed Ali Babacan concerning the new breakaway party within AKP. Babacan appeared in the media for the first time with this agenda since his resignation from AKP after 14 years of membership in the party at the highest levels, announcing "our principles are to establish justice, hire experts, take decisions based on consultancy to involved people, protect the reputation of institutions, be transparent and most importantly to put human at the core. Why is Turkey at its current condition? Unfortunately it is due to departure from these principles." When asked whether former AKP Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu would be supporting the new breakaway party, Babacan said "our priorities in politics, our method and rhetorics is quite different." Regarding Executive Presidential System of governance, Babacan announced, "I was asked to assume active duty during the referendum process. I objected... I believed it would have more negative than positive outcomes for Turkey in the end."

WE NEED TO MEND SOCIAL DAMAGE

Former Minister of Economy Ali Babacan also commented on the economic downturn Turkey has been in. Regarding the hardships felt in the economy, Babacan said "there is no problem too great for Turkey to overcome. Economy especially would be the easiest perhaps. Two plus two equals four; as long as there is rationality behind actions, economy would recover easily. However we must focus on matters other than economics too. We must mend the social damage done." Babacan also commented on dismissal of Peoples' Democratic Party HDP's metropolitan mayors in Diyarbakır, Van and Mardin, "only judiciary can remove an elected official if necessary and if it complies with legal framework." Babacan also added, "there is a need for renewed strategy in terms of finding a solution to Kurdish problem."

FORMER PRESIDENT GÜL SUPPORTS

According to the interview on Karar, Ali Babacan's comments on Davutoğlu and Gül have been as follows, "Mr. Gül has been supporting our work. We benefit greatly from his experiences and knowledge. However legally whoever bears the political responsibility would also have to assume the final responsibility. Mr. Davutoğlu on the other hand is someone we admire academically and personally. However there are great differences between our priorities, methodology and rhetorics when doing politics."

HAVE NOT MET IMAMOĞLU YET

Ali Babacan was asked concerning the most popular figure of politics in Turkey in recent months, Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu. Babacan announced "I have only got to hear his name when he was nominated for Istanbul. As far as I can see, up until he started running for Istanbul his reputation was not so widely known but despite that he won Istanbul with such high numbers. I wish him best of luck and success. May God be with him. When looking at the trusted opinion polls, it could already be seen that there was such a margin at the results. Even in the first elections on March 31, in those polls it was showing a win tilting towards Mr. Imamoğlu with 1-2 point margin. In the second election on June 23, again it was predicted that the margin would grow much bigger. Of course as you know opinion polls in Turkey fall into two categories; there are those reflecting the public opinion and those that are announced in order to divert public's opinion in a certain way."