AKP municipal council member Ekrem Baki, who resigned from his party, speaks to 12punto

Hazal Güven - 12punto.com.tr

The Üsküdar Municipal Council gathered for its May session. During the meeting, AKP member Ekrem Baki took the podium and, in an off-agenda speech, announced that he had resigned from the Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Drawing attention to the government's pressure on the opposition and explaining that this was the reason for his decision to resign, Baki stated the following:

"Due to the heavy pressure being exerted against the opposition in our country in recent days and the increasing intensity of this pressure, the fact that I cannot see any signs of things evolving for the better, and because my understanding of both law and politics is incompatible with this, I have resigned from the Justice and Development Party of which I am a member."

Following his speech, CHP council members gave Baki a standing ovation. After these developments, Baki made his first statement regarding his decision to 12punto.

'I PLAN TO CONTINUE AS AN INDEPENDENT'

Stating that his speech at the municipal council clearly explained the situation, Baki said, "When I consider the processes our country is going through, I have no hope left that things will get better. When the intensity of the pressure on the opposition increased, I made such a decision."

In response to the question, "Are you considering joining the ranks of another party?" Baki replied, "I plan to continue on my path as an independent."