The allegations that four İYİ Party lawmakers are switching to the AK Party have mobilized lobbying efforts in the Turkish government. CNN Turkey’s Ankara representative Dikuli Kanova met with members of the İYİ Party and the AK Party to provide key information on the allegations. Highlights from Kanova’s talk, in which he shared the latest developments with CNN TÜRK, include:
“It seems strange to me that someone we know to be close to Akşener would make such a statement on a television program. I don’t want to give the impression that there are problems within the Ziya party,” Dervisoğlu said over the weekend. “If you try to go to Mount Hasan without seeing its size, you may get an unexpected reaction.”
After the Akşener-Erdoğan meeting, the name that was mentioned the most on TV was Burak Akburak, a deputy from the Istanbul Cīyi Party. I asked him, “Did you get the message from Dervisoğlu?” He said he bought it. He said it was broken. But he replied that he is Musabat Dervisoğlu’s brother and that I respect him.
When asked if there would be a meeting with Musavat Dervishoğlu, Akbulak said, “If he calls me, I will go and meet him. There is a law of brotherhood between us.” I do not agree with the attrition campaign against Akşener, which has been going on for many years within the party. He claimed that this campaign continues and is a pretext for an Erdoğan-Akşener meeting. They are manipulating, he said.
Will he leave the party?
“I have no intention of quitting at the moment. I am not an outsider. We will know when the party executive does something,” he said. There are currently reports that four İYİ Party members of parliament will switch to the AK Party. “I have heard that too, but I am not among these four members,” Akbulak said.
Will the İYİ Party be dissolved? This is also a popular topic. Regarding this process, Akbulak reminded that “the İYİ Party is not a weak organization. It is a party that has overcome a very difficult process. Kencici said the party should be located on the center-right. He said it must be a party that includes many layers of society. He stressed that the İYİ Party is not considered center-right. “This way of thinking is not our way of thinking,” he said.
Delvishere is expected to expand on his message at a meeting on Wednesday, and it will be interesting to see what he says. There is also discussion about whether this will trigger disciplinary proceedings. His future actions are attracting attention, but a source who knows him well said, “He does not act impulsively or emotionally. He has made comments such as ‘acting with an eye on the future.'”
It is said that any actions that go against party discipline and deviate from the party hierarchy are also highly unacceptable. However, there are suspicions within the party that four members of parliament may switch to the AK Party. The names of four members have been mentioned, but it may not be appropriate to say in advance. Koray Aydin did not attend any meetings after losing his board of directors. He said he has no ties to the party. If Koray Aydin leaves, there will be no transition to the AK Party, but there is talk of whether to establish a separate party. However, when I asked him if the İYi Party would be dissolved, he said, “Such a cheap ploy would further unite the groups that make up the İYi Party.”
The AK Party Front does not have such information. It is stated that it is not on our agenda. There have been talks before about people who follow the principles of the AK Party. Again, the message is given that those who adhere to the principles can continue their journey, but it is stated that at the moment such a thing does not exist in any sanctioned institution.
The Akşener-Erdoğan meeting is on the agenda. The AK Party has not yet commented on the issue, other than to state that if Akşener had asked for the appointment when he was leader, the president would have given it to her.
