30.04.2026 12:22
Felicity Party Chairman Mahmut Arıkan spoke on a live broadcast about efforts to select a presidential candidate. Arıkan said, 'We are working on such a name that when we announce it, all of Turkey, 86 million people, will say, 'Thank goodness!'' Without revealing the candidate's name, Arıkan added, 'To avoid increasing the population in Silivri, let's not mention it for now.'
Mahmut Arıkan, Chairman of the Felicity Party, made striking statements about the presidential candidate his party is working on during a live broadcast. Arıkan stated that when they announce the name, Turkey will say, “Oh, that’s who we’ve been looking for.”
“ALL OF TURKEY WILL SAY ‘OH’ ”
Mahmut Arıkan, Chairman of the Felicity Party, spoke about the presidential candidacy during a live broadcast hosted by İlker Karagöz. Noting that his party is working on a name, Arıkan gave confident messages about the candidate. Arıkan said, “We are working on such a name that when we announce it, all of Turkey, 86 million people, will say ‘Oh!’ They will say, ‘This is who we’ve been looking for.’ We are doing the groundwork for this.”
“LET SILIVRI’S POPULATION NOT INCREASE FURTHER”
When host İlker Karagöz asked about the candidate’s profile, Arıkan said they would not reveal the name for now. Arıkan gave a striking response: “Let’s not mention it for now, so Silivri’s population doesn’t increase further.” Arıkan left unanswered Karagöz’s questions about whether the candidate is an academic, businessperson, or politician, stating that the issue should be left to time.
“PRINCIPLES MATTER, NOT PROFESSION”
Arıkan also did not directly answer a question about which political line the candidate would come from. The Felicity leader emphasized that what matters more than the candidate’s identity are the principles and values they will uphold. Arıkan said, “We want to present the name we will put forward, surrounded by principles and values. Academic, businessperson, politician... I think these are all minor details.”
“OUR CANDIDATE KNOWS”
One of the most striking statements during the live broadcast was the response to a question about whether the candidate is aware of the process. When İlker Karagöz asked, “Does your candidate know you are working on this?” Arıkan replied, “Of course they know, yes. Our candidate knows.” These words revealed that the name the Felicity Party is working on is not just an internal discussion, but that the person in question is also aware of the process.
“WE FEAR SOMETHING MIGHT HAPPEN TO OUR CANDIDATE”
When Karagöz asked whether the Future Party and DEVA Party are aware of this candidate work, Arıkan said, “Let’s leave this here.” He then added, “No. We also fear that something might happen to our candidate.” While Arıkan’s words drew attention during the live broadcast, the Felicity Party’s work on a presidential candidate became a new topic of political debate.
“86 MILLION WILL HAVE NO CONCERN ABOUT TOMORROW”
Mahmut Arıkan stated that the main promise of the candidate they will put forward is to provide reassurance to the entire society. The Felicity leader said their candidate will act with the understanding that “None of our 86 million people will worry about tomorrow; they will go to bed peacefully.” Arıkan’s statements showed that the Felicity Party is continuing its candidacy work for the presidential election and is focusing on a remarkable name in this regard.