29.10.2026 22:11
Following the resignation of Presidential Chief Adviser Oktay Saral, a striking statement came from former AK Party lawmaker Şamil Tayyar. Tayyar, who said he met with Saral after he submitted his resignation petition, recounted that in the past he had been removed from the delegation during President Erdoğan's Moscow visit due to Russia's reaction. Tayyar said, "Sometimes, in international relations, if the country's interest demands a 'sacrifice,' you become the 'sacrifice.'"
As the departure of Presidential Chief Advisor Oktay Saral from his post resonated in the political agenda, former AK Party MP Şamil Tayyar also made a striking statement on the matter. Stating that he had a long meeting with Saral immediately after his resignation, Tayyar recalled an incident he had experienced with Russia years ago.
OKTAY SARAL ANNOUNCED HIS RESIGNATION Presidential Chief Advisor Oktay Saral, who drew the reaction of the Baku administration due to his statements regarding the headscarf ban in Azerbaijan, announced his resignation from his post in a statement on his social media account.
Oktay Saral's statement is as follows: "Today, I have submitted my resignation from the post of Chief Advisor to our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which I have carried out with great honor, dignity, and responsibility since 2016.
Positions come and go, titles change hands. The real issue is not which position a person sits in, but which values they stand behind. What matters to us is not positions, but the cause we have walked in the same direction for years and the struggle we have waged shoulder to shoulder with our President.
"I WILL CONTINUE TO WALK THE PATH WITH OUR PRESIDENT" This decision of mine does not mean taking a step back from the values I believe in or from my will to serve our nation. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, I will continue to walk alongside our President with the same faith and determination.
May God make us not among those who seek power in the shadow of positions, but among those who stand firm in the light of truth. May He make us among those who defend the values they believe in, whatever the cost."
ŞAMİL TAYYAR: AFTER HE SUBMITTED HIS RESIGNATION PETITION, WE HAD A LONG CONVERSATION Evaluating Saral's resignation, Şamil Tayyar stated that he met with him after he submitted his resignation petition and used the following expressions: "Presidential Chief Advisor Oktay Saral resigned from his post. After he submitted his resignation petition around 11:00, we had a long conversation. As he expressed in his social media post, he had not the slightest resentment. I told him as well."
"THE RUSSIANS HAD NOT FORGOTTEN THOSE POSTS OF MINE" Tayyar stated that during his meeting with Saral, he also told him about an incident he had experienced with Russia in the past. Recalling the diplomatic crisis between the two countries after a Russian warplane was shot down in Syria, Tayyar said that he had made harsh posts against the Russian administration at that time.
Stating that after relations normalized he was in the delegation during President Erdoğan's visit to Russia but was removed from the delegation on the last night due to the reaction of Russian officials, Tayyar noted the following: "When the Russian plane was shot down in Syria, there was tension between the two countries; Putin and Lavrov were using harsh expressions toward Turkey. During that period when I was an MP, I also made harsh posts against the Russian administration. After a while, the pipe of peace was smoked, the fight was left behind, and a wind of brotherhood blew at the summit. But the Russians had not forgotten those posts of mine. In the following period, I was in the delegation during our President's trip to Russia; due to the Russians' reaction, I was removed from the delegation on the last night."
"IF THE COUNTRY'S INTEREST DEMANDS A SACRIFICE, YOU BECOME THE SACRIFICE" Evaluating the incident he experienced through the priority of national interests in international relations, Tayyar concluded his post with these words: "Sometimes, in international relations, if the country's interest demands a 'sacrifice,' you become the 'sacrifice.' No problem. But one must also learn lessons. With love and affection for my brother Oktay."