In a statement issued by his office, former President Abdullah Gül admitted that he had met with Turkey’s main opposition party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, adding that they did not discuss party politics or next year’s local elections.
Pro-government columnist Abdülkadir Selvi reported the meeting, which was held three weeks ago, in a TV appearance on Friday.
According to Selvi, Gül also met with Felicity Party (SP) leader Temel Karamollaoğlu in October.
One of the founding fathers of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Gül had been considering running against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the June 24 presidential election.
However, as the opposition parties could not agree on his candidacy, Gül announced that he would not run.
The statement indicated that Gül and Kılıçdaroğlu had discussed the latest developments in the region and the world in a broader sense.