AKP's Hüseyin Çelik reacts to Erdoğan over 'Mehmet Uçum'! 'A man of unknown origins...'

Former Minister of National Education Hüseyin Çelik, one of the founders of the AKP, made striking assessments regarding the results of the March 31 local elections.

"ERDOĞAN NEEDS TO RECKON WITH HIMSELF"

Speaking to Hilal Köylü from Serbestiyet, Çelik stated that AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan needs to reckon with himself, saying the following;

"Dismissing a few deputy chairmen, ministers, or advisors is not enough. When self-criticism is made or a bill is being settled, whoever has the authority, bears the responsibility accordingly. Therefore, those with more responsibility must be held more accountable. The greatest authority here belongs to Mr. Erdoğan. Instead of just changing some names, I believe the President needs to have a reckoning with himself. It would not be a correct attitude to claim success while attributing failure to others."

HARSH WORDS FOR MEHMET UÇUM

Addressing the argument that Erdoğan's Chief Advisor Mehmet Uçum had with AKP members following the election defeat, Çelik reacted to both Uçum and Erdoğan.

Çelik used the expressions, "There is a communist remnant in the palace who has been made the master of laws. A man of unknown origins is laying down the law and wagging his finger. Apparently, what we do is being recorded. He puts himself in the place of the state. This is not something that can be swallowed. How does the President allow this man to do this?"

"IF THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN THE PARTY I FOUNDED..."

Stating that the AKP has ceased to be a cadre movement, Çelik continued;

"The chairman is first among equals. Yes, Erdoğan is undoubtedly the leader of the AK Party movement. However, the world's highest peak is Mount Everest, but Everest owes its existence and its stance there to the Himalayan mountains. If there were no Himalayan range, there would be no such thing as Everest. In this respect, you need to pay attention to who the people you gather around you are. In our time, there were selfless people around Mr. Erdoğan; now, selflessness seems to have been replaced by calculation.

If you throw a person like Mr. Bülent Arınç, who has a relationship with you dating back years before the AK Party was even founded, under the feet of Devlet Bahçeli, excuse me, but you have ceased to be a cadre movement.

If you let the people you set out with be crushed by the people you found along the way, if you throw them under the feet of the people you found along the way, you will break the hearts of these people and the masses who are emotionally attached to them. Excuse me, this is not acceptable.

I have not the slightest expectation. A person with expectations does not make these criticisms. A true friend is not one who offers praise they do not believe in, but one who speaks the truths they believe in, even if it is uncomfortable.

Mevlana says, 'He who has a good friend does not need a mirror.' A friend is the one who holds a mirror to your face.

A significant portion of the AK Party's cadres has been spent. If these things are happening in the party I founded, there is nothing more natural than me expressing my discomfort."