Akşener to IYI Party Headquarters: 'Remove my photo from party buildings'

Former IYI Party Chair Akşener has requested that her photos be removed from all offices within the party. In her statement, Akşener said, "I request that my photos be removed from all offices." Rıdvan Uz, the IYI Party member mentioned in the petition sent by Akşener, has been referred to the Disciplinary Board by Dervişoğlu with a request for expulsion.

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Akşener to IYI Party Headquarters: 'Remove my photo from party buildings'

Former IYI Party Chair Meral Akşener, who met with AKP Chair and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at Beştepe last week, has requested that her photos be removed from all party offices.

Akşener stated the following:

"Regarding the request made by IYI Party Çanakkale Deputy Rıdvan Uz during the closed group meeting held on June 12, 2024, concerning the removal of my photos from the Headquarters, Deputy, Provincial, and District organization offices due to my visit to the President as the 'Founding Chair', I submit to your information that the necessary actions should be taken immediately upon instruction."

The petition submitted by Meral Akşener:

REFERRED TO DISCIPLINE WITH REQUEST FOR PERMANENT EXPULSION

IYI Party Deputy Chair Hakan Şeref Olgun announced that IYI Party Çanakkale Deputy Rıdvan Uz has been referred to the Disciplinary Board by Chair Müsavat Dervişoğlu with a request for permanent expulsion, with precautionary measures in place.

In his post, Olgun also tagged former IYI Party Chair Meral Akşener.

IYI Party Founders' Board Member Mehmet Tolga Akalın shared a written statement on his social media account regarding the incident.

'OPPORTUNITY GIVEN TO THOSE WHO WANT TO DIVIDE OUR PARTY'

In his statement targeting Meral Akşener, Akalın included the following remarks:

While we were following and supporting our party's stance on constitutional debates with appreciation, the fact that the former chair has adopted a stance that will openly and intentionally harm the party she founded has shocked and saddened everyone in our party. The proposal with controversial content presented by our deputy Rıdvan Uz against this aforementioned stance at today's closed group meeting was unfortunately answered by his referral for expulsion. First of all, it must be said that closed group meetings are held so that everyone can express their opinions openly. If this is to be the result of expressing an opinion, there is no point in holding closed meetings. This attitude is not only unbecoming of our Chair Mr. Dervişoğlu, but it has also gained ground for the palace mentality within the IYI Party. It has also encouraged efforts to portray the Chair as being under guardianship. On the other hand, while we had an opportunity to break the hands of those who want to tear our party apart from the inside and outside, and a sense of expectation had arisen among the people, such a move also wastes our expectation of refreshing our damaged ties with our voters and building new ones. Finally, there is a possibility that this decision will go down in history as recording the Chair as Devlet Bahçeli and Mr. Rıdvan Uz as Ali Güngör; those who expelled the late Ali Güngör lost in the hearts of the people. Therefore, I must say, Mr. Chair; do not sacrifice your fellow travelers and comrades to satisfy the ambitious who are looking for a cover for the cursed journey they have embarked upon. We owe a victory to this great movement, and we cannot overcome difficult paths with the faint-hearted. If we have the power, shame on us if we do not have the power to protect those who own the party, rather than those who serve the two major political centers trying to divide and share our party. If someone is to be expelled from this political movement, it is those who attempt to make our movement, which was established as a result of a great political struggle, an appetizer for palace tables. It is those who make hundreds of thousands of our honorable members walk with their heads bowed. While Erdoğan is redesigning politics, we expect loyalty to the correct messages given in our group speeches. If we are to take refuge in our orphaned Turkishness and challenge the palaces, we must not leave the Turks orphaned.

News Source: 12punto