Abdullah Gul vs Okubo Toshimichi

Abdullah Gul was a founding member of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), along with Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The party positioned itself as conservative democratic and won the 2002 elections.

Gul served as Prime Minister of Turkey from 2002 to 2003, leading the first AK Party government. He oversaw the early phase of economic reforms and EU accession negotiations.

Gul served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2007. He played a key role in Turkey's EU accession negotiations and in improving relations with neighboring countries.

Gul was elected as the 11th President of Turkey after a contentious process. His election sparked a constitutional crisis due to his AK Party background and his wife's headscarf, leading to early elections.

As president, Gul supported Turkey's EU accession process and democratic reforms. He served until 2014, maintaining a largely ceremonial role while backing the AK Party's agenda.

As Finance Minister, Okubo oversaw the Land Tax Reform of 1873, which replaced the feudal land tax with a modern monetary tax system. This reform stabilized government finances and facilitated the transition to a capitalist economy.

Okubo created the Home Ministry (Naimusho) to centralize administrative control over local governments. The ministry oversaw police, public works, and local administration, strengthening the central government's authority.

Okubo argued against the proposal to invade Korea (Seikanron), advocating instead for domestic reforms. His opposition prevailed, leading to the resignation of Saigo Takamori and other expansionists, and solidifying the Meiji government's focus on internal modernization.

Okubo, as a key leader of the Meiji government, directed the suppression of the Satsuma Rebellion led by Saigo Takamori. The government's victory ended the last major samurai uprising and consolidated imperial rule.

Okubo was assassinated by samurai from the Satsuma domain who opposed his policies of centralization and Westernization. His death removed a key figure from the Meiji government, but his reforms continued.