15.08.2026 19:10
On the 25th anniversary of the AK Party, Sakarya Deputy Ali İnci made special statements to Haberler.com Editor-in-Chief Av. Bedia Teymur, recounting his nearly half-century journey as a companion to President Erdoğan. Sharing unknown details from the Pınarhisar Prison days to the night of July 15, İnci said, 'We never lost hope, even in prison.'
Haberler.com Editor-in-Chief Attorney Bedia Teymur conducted an exclusive interview with Sakarya Deputy Ali İnci at AK Party's quarter-century-old rally ground. İnci, who has been a close companion of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan since 1978, shared unknown details and emotional memories on many topics, from the founding process of AK Party to the days in Pınarhisar Prison, from the events of the July 15 night to the goal of a Terror-Free Turkey.
HALF-CENTURY COMPANIONSHIP
Ali İnci, stating that they started politics during the Youth Branches period, said his acquaintance with President Erdoğan dates back to the 1970s. Recalling the historic Sultanahmet Rally in 1979, İnci said, "Our President was serving as the host as the Youth Branches Chairman at that time, and our teacher Erbakan was speaking. We had climbed on trees and were cheering. We have been by our President's side since those days, and we will continue to be until we die."
PINARHİSAR PRISON AND 16 MAYORS
İnci, recalling that Erdoğan was sent to prison during the period when he was elected as the Mayor of Hendek in the 1999 local elections, recounted that process with these words:
"They were afraid of a dynamic leader loved by the people and put him in prison unjustly. But we did not abandon him. The other day, I showed our President the photo we took with our 16 mayor friends in front of Pınarhisar Prison. I said, 'My friends visited you in prison, now they want to visit you at the Presidential office.' He was very moved and immediately gave instructions to Hasan Doğan to arrange an appointment."
"WE MADE THE LEADER, WHO WAS SAID 'CAN'T EVEN BE A MUHTAR,' PRIME MINISTER AND PRESIDENT"
The Sakarya Deputy, drawing attention to the fact that the period when AK Party was founded was full of economic and political crises, said, "We set out in a period when people had lost hope. They were saying, 'Recep Tayyip Erdoğan came out of prison, but he can only be a muhtar.' We said, 'We will make him not a muhtar, but Prime Minister and President.' In prison, Abdülkadir Aksu, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and I sat and talked about Turkey's future and the party to be established, always looking to the future with faith."
CENTURY-OLD NIGHT: I LEFT MY DAUGHTER'S WEDDING AND TOOK MY GUN
Ali İnci, revealing that he was at his daughter's wedding during the July 15 coup attempt, described the striking moments of that night as follows:
"During the wedding, the Bolu Mufti came and said, 'There is a coup.' I didn't believe it; we saw the tanks on the bridge on TV. I learned that the Sakarya Governorship was occupied by 200 soldiers and 3 tanks. We were not in a position to think about the wedding, money, or position. Without even informing my wife or daughter, I left the wedding, took my guns, and went to fight. Our President said 'To the squares,' and our people did not leave their leader alone."
"DEVLET BAHÇELİ'S STEP IS A STATE WISDOM"
Ali İnci, also touching on recent political developments and the goal of a "Terror-Free Turkey," evaluated the steps of MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli:
"Mr. Devlet Bahçeli's stance is not personal wisdom, but state wisdom. With his upright stance, he demonstrated great willpower for this country. The steps accepted in Parliament with 467 votes and broad participation of parties will make Turkey even stronger. Turkey is now a world power that produces its own weapons, planes, and tanks. In the second century, we will leave an even stronger Turkey to our future."