Statement on presidential candidate from Mahmut Arıkan and Ali Babacan

Saadet Party Chairman Mahmut Arıkan and DEVA Party Chairman Ali Babacan met with journalists after the Yeniden Refah Party's parliamentary group meeting. The questions directed at them regarding the presidential candidacy have sparked new discussions in political circles.

"LET THE AK PARTY ANNOUNCE AN EARLY ELECTION, AND WE WILL ANNOUNCE OUR CANDIDATE TOMORROW"

When journalists reminded him of his previous statement that "we have a candidate that 86 million people will say 'oh, thank goodness' for" and asked about allegations that the names being mentioned were Abdullah Gül and Ali Babacan, Mahmut Arıkan said, "Let the AK Party announce an early election, set the date, and we will announce our candidate tomorrow."

BABACAN LEAVES DOOR OPEN FOR CANDIDACY

Ali Babacan stated that party chairmen are natural presidential candidates, saying, "Party chairmen are already natural presidential candidates. I have been saying this for years."

HE HAD KEPT THE CANDIDATE'S NAME HIDDEN

Saadet Party leader Mahmut Arıkan had previously stated that they had begun work regarding the presidential candidacy but had avoided sharing a name. In another statement on the agenda, he had chosen to leave the announcement of the candidate's name for a more appropriate time, saying, "Let's keep it for now so that the population in Silivri does not increase by one more." Arıkan claimed that their candidate would be a name longed for by all of Turkey.

News Source: 12punto