13.02.2025 09:20
Selçuk Özdağ, the Deputy Group Chairman of the New Path Party, which was established as an umbrella party by DEVA, the Future Party, and the Happiness Party, claimed during a live broadcast that Meral Akşener, the Founding Leader of the İYİ Party, offered him candidacy in Manisa during the 2019 local elections and said, "Go and run for office, then join the AKP within a year."
New Way Party's Parliamentary Group Deputy Chairman Selçuk Özdağ made statements regarding the agenda during a television program he attended. Özdağ's remarks about Meral Akşener, the Founding Leader of the GOOD Party, drew attention while speaking on TELE1.
"GO AND BE A CANDIDATE, JOIN THE AKP A YEAR LATER"
Özdağ stated that Akşener offered him candidacy for the Manisa Metropolitan Municipality in the 2019 local elections, saying, "When Meral Akşener offered me the metropolitan mayoralty in 2019, they had given Manisa to the GOOD Party when they collaborated with the Republican People's Party, and she told me, 'Selçuk Bey, you are winning.' She said, 'Go and be a candidate, then join the AKP a year later.'
"I CANNOT CARRY THE VOTES THERE"
Özdağ's statements are as follows:
"As a politician with 32 years of experience, who has worked in politics with Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu for many years, and has served three terms as a member of parliament and deputy chairman in the Justice and Development Party, I am now saying this as someone who has returned from death while being in opposition. You will stay where you got your votes from. You cannot carry the votes of that nation from here to there. In Muğla, I received votes mostly from CHP members, Future Party, Felicity Party, DEVA, and Democratic Party members, especially from the Republican People's Party. I was elected that way; can you take these votes and carry them there? When Meral Akşener offered me the metropolitan mayoralty in 2019, they had given Manisa to the GOOD Party when they collaborated with the Republican People's Party, and she told me, 'Selçuk Bey, you are winning.' She said, 'Go and be a candidate, then join the AKP a year later.' 'If you join or if Mr. Ahmet forms a party, you can go and join,' she said. I said, 'Wait a minute, I cannot carry the votes there.'
"NOT EVERYTHING IS ABOUT POSITION"
Mr. Ahmet also asked me, 'Will you come?' I said, 'I will not come.' I will be the mayor with the GOOD Party members and CHP members from there. I will make a 5-year contract, and then I will move. Not everything is about position; everything is about character, everything is about stance. You will have a stance."
No statement has yet been made from Meral Akşener's side regarding Özdağ's claims.