AK Party Deputy Group Chair Abdulhamit Gül emphasized the city’s support for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the AK Party at a press conference in Sakarya as part of the “Türkiye Century Meetings.” Stating that Sakarya is a leader in tourism, industry and agriculture and ranks 7th in exports, Gül said they would meet with citizens, tradespeople and civil society organizations in 16 districts and convey their demands to party headquarters and Erdoğan.
Arguing that problems had been resolved over a quarter-century under Erdoğan’s leadership and that investments in Sakarya were continuing, Gül said a solution had been reached in the terrorism issue that had cost the country 50 years. He stated that the “Terror-Free Türkiye” process would strengthen production, employment, unity and national solidarity, and that no concessions had been made regarding the characteristics of the state or the nation’s values. He added that the struggle of martyrs and veterans had been placed at the center of the process.
Gül said Türkiye was a reliable country in the face of regional crises thanks to its strong security architecture and Erdoğan’s leadership, and claimed that those who voted for Erdoğan wanted him to continue, while those who did not were also becoming inclined to support his candidacy because of global conflicts. Stating that there was no legal or constitutional obstacle to another candidacy and that the expectation could be met through a parliamentary decision, Gül voiced the need for a new civilian constitution and argued that Türkiye would become a global superpower in the coming period.
Why it matters
The statements place a field effort that will bring local demands in Sakarya to the party headquarters within the same framework as the government’s security, constitution and election agenda. Pointing to a parliamentary decision for Erdoğan to run again shows that the debate is being conducted not only in terms of political support but also through a legal path to be pursued in parliament. The fact that the call for a new civilian constitution is mentioned alongside the candidacy debate leaves unanswered questions about the scope and timetable of this initiative and the political consensus under which it will be drafted. While broad outcomes, ranging from production to employment, are attributed to the Terror-Free Türkiye process, the statement’s failure to specify the concrete steps and criteria through which these will be achieved creates fundamental uncertainty for citizens, the business community and civil society seeking to assess the process’s effects.
Background
Erdoğan is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: over the past 90 days, we have published 18 news articles mentioning this name; the latest was dated September 15, 2026.