Blame it on Erdogan’s economic crisis – VG

“A big sacrifice was needed from Erdogan’s side, to help the Turks get over the sharp fall in the Turkish lira,” he continues.

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Professor of Turkey Studies Einar Wigen at UiO also describes it as if Albayrak has been sacrificed by Erdogan.

– There has been a conflict within Erdogan’s party AKP about what is the best economic strategy. From his post as finance minister, Albayrak was centrally placed to influence economic policy, but the fact that he was Erdogan’s son-in-law also meant that responsibility could be returned to Erdogan, Wigen said.

Promised top 10

In a speech on Tuesday, during an event commemorating Turkish patriarch Mustafa Kemal Aatatürk, Erdogan promised to strengthen the Turkish economy to secure a place among the world’s ten largest economies, writes the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet.

But the reality is that there are huge problems, with high inflation and falling exchange rates.

Erdogan has long been at odds with the Turkish central bank: In line with leading economic theory, the central bank has refused to cut interest rates to counteract price increases, while Erdogan has promised its voters to push interest rates down.

The problem seemed to be east last year, when Murat Uysal was installed. But he also did not want to dance to Erdogan’s pipe, and is said to have become a little too good friends with Finance Minister Albayrak.

This weekend, Uysal had to leave, and now both the central bank governor and the finance minister replaced with new loyalists.

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Accusations of corruption

Albayrak, which is heavily involved in the ownership of a number of Turkey’s pro – government media, still holds a strong position, points out Gürkan Özturan.

– I will not be surprised if he gets another ministerial post after a while. He can not be pushed too far away from the palace, given the position he has as a media owner and son-in-law, he says.

Einar Wigen points out that Albayrak has been linked to shady trade and corruption allegations for several years.

– It could be a strain on Erdogan. In such a regime, the leader must be able to say that he did not know what was going on. Being able to deny knowledge seems to be a conscious strategy for Erdogan, says Wigen.

PS: The list of close associates who have been squeezed out of the ruling party in Turkey after losing a power struggle with Erdogan is long, with former Prime Minister Abdullah Gül, who formed the AKP with Erdogan, and Ahmet Davotuglo, who was both foreign and prime minister, as the two most famous.