13.06.2026 13:00
Mersin deputy Ali Mahir Başarır, whom the administration of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu referred to the disciplinary board with a request for expulsion along with 8 other deputies, made striking statements about the election period. Başarır also recounted the dialogue between him and Kılıçdaroğlu during that period for the first time.
Ali Mahir Başarır, CHP's deputy from Mersin who was referred to the disciplinary board along with eight other deputies for expulsion after the 'absolute nullity' decision, made striking statements about the administration of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who returned to the party chairmanship for the second time. Başarır, who was even removed from the role of Deputy Group Chair on the Turkish Grand National Assembly website, said in his remarks to journalist Şule Aydın, 'Unfortunately, Kemal Bey was a very bad project,' and called on the former chairman's family: 'Take care of your spouse, your father; he is not in good hands.'
HE REVEALED THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THEM FOR THE FIRST TIME
Ali Mahir Başarır, stating that he opposed Kılıçdaroğlu's decision to include Mersin Deputy Hasan Ufuk Çakır, who resigned from CHP and joined AK Party ranks, on the list, recounted the dialogue between them for the first time. Başarır said that hours before the lists were submitted to the Supreme Election Council (YSK), Kılıçdaroğlu tossed 39 deputies in an envelope before the Party Assembly. 'Shall I tell you the most painful part? My break with Kılıçdaroğlu was this incident: He wanted to make Hasan Ufuk Çakar a deputy, everyone was against it. I went to his room and said, 'Please don't do this, I beg you.' He paused, paused, paused, then said, 'Anyway, if five don't come out of Mersin...' I stood there for about three seconds looking at him... 'If five don't come out of Mersin, then you can't become President, can you?' That was the end of Kılıçdaroğlu for me. Do you think someone who doesn't believe five people will win from Mersin truly believes he will become President?'
HIS CANDIDACY WAS NEVER DISCUSSED: THIS IS A SELF-CRITICISM
Emphasizing that Kılıçdaroğlu's presidential candidacy process was never discussed within the party, Başarır responded to Şule Aydın's question, 'Why didn't you speak up then?' with a self-criticism: 'At that time, I was a deputy. Engin Bey came to the group meeting and said, 'Kemal Bey is running.' It wasn't discussed, we weren't allowed to speak. After that moment, if you objected, they'd say, 'You're the reason he lost.' But could I have objected anyway? Yes, I could have. I can say this as a self-criticism.'
SO HIS TASK IS NOT YET FINISHED
Başarır responded to the question, 'Kılıçdaroğlu, who didn't want to be President, now regains the chairmanship through a court decision—what does he want?' with a scathing analysis: 'So his task is not yet finished for this country, his party, the opposition, or perhaps it will never be finished—we must have a ordeal, that's how I perceive it. He definitely has a role, absolutely. There must be a role, this process that started with a tape has come this far. The last thing he wants to do is to make the Republican People's Party an institutional satellite of the palace. It's that simple.'
CALL TO HIS FAMILY: TAKE CARE OF HIM, HE IS NOT IN GOOD HANDS
Ali Mahir Başarır, stating that he has no respect or feeling left for Kılıçdaroğlu, said, 'Unfortunately, Kemal Bey was a very bad project,' and made this striking call to the former chairman's family: 'I am once again addressing his esteemed family from here: Take care of your father, your spouse, because he is not in good hands... He cannot comprehend some things.'