Controversial claim about Akşener from an İYİ Party figure: Did Erdoğan persuade her not to resign?

Mehmet Tolga Akalın, a former Deputy Chairman of the İYİ Party and a candidate for party leader at the last convention, made statements that have created a stir.

Akalın alleged that Meral Akşener was preparing to resign after the March 31 elections, but changed her decision following a phone call from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

'SHE ABANDONED HER RESIGNATION AT ERDOĞAN'S REQUEST'

Akalın claimed that Erdoğan intervened at a time when Akşener was preparing to resign after the elections.

Akalın stated, "Erdoğan called Akşener and persuaded her not to resign. After this phone conversation, Akşener withdrew her resignation decision. She has become a politician who acts on Erdoğan's instructions."

Tolga Akalın argued that Akşener managed the party alone and unilaterally ended the electoral cooperation process that was planned to be expanded with the CHP before the local elections.

Akalın said, "Without us even knowing, she turned plans upside down by saying, 'We will enter the elections alone'."

HE EVALUATED KÜRŞAD ZORLU'S RESIGNATION

Touching upon the notable resignations in the İYİ Party recently, Akalın described Kürşad Zorlu's decision as a surprise.

Tolga Akalın said, "When I spoke with him a short while ago, he did not mention such a thing. It is understood that Zorlu also made this decision at the last minute." Akalın characterized these resignations as a sign of the dissolution within the İYİ Party.

DENIAL FROM THE AKŞENER CAMP

Esma Bekar, Meral Akşener's Chief of Staff, harshly denied Akalın's allegations.

Bekar stated, "There was no phone conversation with President Erdoğan on the night of March 31. Such allegations are baseless. HTS records can be checked."