21.10.2026 13:30
MHP Deputy Chairman Mevlüt Karakaya stated that the opposition's presidential candidate is New Party Chairman Özgür Özel, and that the candidacies of Ekrem İmamoğlu and Mansur Yavaş have dropped off the agenda.
Mevlüt Karakaya, Deputy Chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), answered questions about the agenda on the “Anatolia Asks” program organized by the Turkish Press Federation.
HE ANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM ANATOLIAN JOURNALISTS
Karakaya, who answered questions from Sinan Burhan, Editor-in-Chief of Millet News Agency and Chairman of the Turkish Press Federation Sinan Burhan, Çay TV Editor-in-Chief Hasan Yavuz Bakır and Kon TV Ankara News Director Çetin Altan, made assessments on many issues, from the opposition’s presidential candidacy debates to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s re-candidacy, and from the fund debates to economic developments.
“THE OPPOSITION’S CANDIDATE IS ÖZGÜR ÖZEL”
Answering journalist Sinan Burhan’s question about the opposition’s presidential candidacy, Karakaya asserted that Özgür Özel, Chairman of the New Party, is the opposition’s presidential candidate. Arguing that the candidacies of dismissed Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş have fallen off the agenda, Karakaya stated that Özel’s political efforts in the recent period have begun to attract public attention.
PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN’S CANDIDACY
Touching on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s re-candidacy, Karakaya drew attention to the option of Parliament deciding to renew the elections so that President Erdoğan can become a presidential candidate again. Karakaya stated that an election decision could be taken with the support of more than 400 members of parliament.
Stating that the Terror-Free Turkey process should also be evaluated within this framework, Karakaya noted that he did not see a problem with Parliament taking an election decision.
“WE WARNED THE RELEVANT INSTITUTIONS A YEAR AGO”
Also speaking about the fund debates, Karakaya claimed that they had warned the relevant institutions about a year ago. Saying that they did not make a statement on this issue at that time to avoid creating speculation in the public, Karakaya also assessed the timing of the crisis.
“THERE IS GOOD IN EVERY EVIL”
Arguing that if the crisis had occurred close to the election period, it could have turned into an economic blow and left the government in a difficult situation, Karakaya suggested that some circles might have planned to coincide these developments with a period close to the election. Karakaya said, “There is good in every evil.”