Yavuz Ağıralioğlu: You are now saying 'the municipality cannot be handed over' to the same men you tried to entrust the state to

Yavuz Ağıralioğlu, who resigned from the İYİ Party before the May 14-28 elections and is continuing his path without a party for now, responded to journalist Fatih Portakal's claim that 'Ağıralioğlu received a candidacy offer from the New Welfare Party'.

Ağıralioğlu also criticized İYİ Party Chair Meral Akşener for placing Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) and Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB) Mayors İmamoğlu and Yavaş in her crosshairs.

Ağıralioğlu clearly denied journalist Fatih Portakal's claim that he 'received a candidacy offer from the New Welfare Party', stating that the position of mayor does not suit his temperament.

"I HAVE NEVER HAD AN AGENDA LIKE BEING A MAYOR"

In his statement, Ağıralioğlu said, "No one spoke with me. After the first election ended, there was talk about the municipality; it was being discussed for the AK Party at the time, it was being discussed for Istanbul. I said, 'My temperament is not suitable for being a mayor,' I said that back then. This came out later, I don't know what this is. No such discussion has taken place with me. I didn't even issue a denial because I didn't take it seriously. Being a mayor is something else. I have been in politics for about 35 years, I have never had an agenda like 'let me be a mayor'. It is a piece of news that I did not deny because I did not take it seriously. Otherwise, I would have denied it. For politicians, being associated with certain places is more valuable than not being associated with them."

HARSH CRITICISMS OF AKŞENER

Ağıralioğlu also criticized İYİ Party leader Meral Akşener, who placed Ankara and Istanbul Metropolitan Mayors Ekrem İmamoğlu and Mansur Yavaş in her crosshairs after rejecting cooperation with the CHP.

In his statement where he said, "You are now saying 'the municipality cannot be handed over' to the same men you tried to entrust the state to," Ağıralioğlu noted the following:

"This makes you an actor without political foresight. You are now saying to the people you tried to entrust the state to 3 months ago, 'mediocre, 5 years of loss, we will save it from this lack of projects' and so on...

This time the voter says; 'You have only just come to your senses, only just seeing what we have been shouting and saying for 5 years... This means you do not have the wisdom to entrust the country to. You are presenting what you saw 3 months ago to us as a project now...' This inconsistency or lack of foresight in between causes the voter to think; 'Why should we entrust the state to someone who cannot see what is right in front of them...' There is also a decorum to being independent. I think this should not be the language of being independent. There is a law you must protect in this independence. This is an indicator of your character."

News Source: 12punto