Babacan denies reports of DEVA merger with Future Party

Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) leader Ali Babacan on Wednesday said claims of his party merging with Ahmed Davutoğlu’s Future Party (GP) are unfounded, Turkish media outlets reported.

Babacan spoke to reporters following the opening of his party’s office building in the western province of Afyonkarahisar.

Concerning news reports that DEVA and the GP will merge, Babacan indicated that they intend to maintain dialogue with all political parties in Turkey.

“We tried to establish dialogue with all political parties during the Eid festival [in May], but the ruling parties refused. That’s up to them,” he said.

Babacan said his party and the GP occasionally consult on various matters.

“But DEVA is currently developing its own unique identity. We are going from one province to another and from one district to another to promote our party. Therefore, we have no contact with any political party other than for dialogue and consultation,” he said.

Babacan further denied any involvement of his party with any election alliance, adding that they will consider cooperation with other parties for election purposes when the election date is declared.

“Our priority for now is to promote the DEVA identity,” he said.

Both Babacan and Davutoğlu are former heavyweights of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which parted ways with the party and established their rival parties in  2020 and 2019, respectively.