Turkish ex-president to 'stay out of politics'

Turkey's former president Abdullah Gul said Friday he had no plans to return to politics, ending speculation of a possible comeback in June legislative elections.
Gul -- a co-founder of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) -- has been a key figure in Turkish politics for the last decade, serving as prime minister, foreign minister and president from 2007-2014.
He has kept a low profile since handing over the presidency to Recep Tayyip Erdogan last year but Turkish media had reported that Gul could come back to politics by standing as an AKP MP in the June 7 elections.
Erdogan himself encouraged the speculation by declaring that he would welcome such a move.
"At the moment I have no such plan," Gul told reporters in televised comments in Istanbul. "I will not at this time be active in politics," he added.
Gul has long been seen as a comrade-in-arms of Erdogan but a notable distance between the two men emerged in the last years.
The former president has generally taken a more moderate stance while Erdogan became ever more abrasive in the face of protests against his rule.
Some commentators have suggested Gul could emerge as an alternative leader should the Islamic-rooted AKP ever split into pro- and anti-Erdogan factions.
Gul returning to the AKP would be hugely significant as the presence of such a heavyweight figure would change the dynamics in the party which is now led by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.