Former Justice Minister Kazan's funeral brings together Erdoğan, ex-allies

Duvar English

The funeral ceremony of former Justice Minister Şevket Kazan has brought President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his former allies Abdullah Gül and Ahmet Davutoğlu together.

Former justice minister and lifetime ally of Erbakan dies at 86

Kazan died on March 9 at the age of 86 in the capital Ankara.

A funeral ceremony for the former politician was held at Ankara's Hacı Bayram Veli Mosque on March 10. The ceremony was attended by several politicians, including Felicity Party chairman Temel Karamollaoğlu, Erdoğan, Gül, Davutoğlu, Parliamentary Speaker Mustafa Şentop and Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül.

After the funeral prayer, Kazan was laid to rest at Cebeci Azri Cemetry.

A founding member of Erdoğan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has ruled Turkey since 2002, Gül served as president between 2007-2014.

Together with former Deputy Minister Ali Babacan, Gül was expected to form a political party to rival that of Erdoğan, but his name was absent from a list of founding members of the newly launched Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA).

Babacan is said to be receiving outside support from Gül.

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Davutoğlu is similarly a leading figure and founding member of the AKP. The former prime minister launched the Future Party in December to rival the AKP after he fell out with Erdoğan.