Former intelligence chief Hakan Fidan has announced that he is withdrawing his nomination for AK Party's candidacy in the upcoming general elections, Anadolu Agency reported.
In a statement released Monday, Fidan said, "As of today, I withdraw my nomination from 25th parliamentary elections on June 7, 2015."
He thanked Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for their support.
Fidan had resigned from his post as head of Turkey's premier intelligence agency, the National Intelligence Agency or the MIT, on Feb. 6, and the prime minister's office back then said he was expected to stand in the upcoming elections.
However, Erdogan had remarked that he was not in favor of Fidan's candidacy. "I do not have a favorable opinion of [Fidan's] candidacy, let me say that very clearly. I have also said this to Mr. Prime Minister before," the president said on Feb. 8.
Fidan had held the intelligence chief post since May 2010 before he resigned. He has also worked as deputy undersecretary in the prime ministry when Erdogan was prime minister.
He has been an influential figure in Turkey and made headlines several times, mainly related to Turkey's solution process with the outlawed PKK and the country's Middle East policy.