Akşener: ‘Mandate and tutelage!’ İYİ Party IMM Group Deputy Chair Özkan: ‘If a concrete proposal comes from the CHP, the process could continue’

Following the İYİ Party's rejection of the CHP's cooperation proposal for the local elections, Chair Meral Akşener made her first statement today at her party's group meeting. In her speech, Akşener likened the alliance to a mandate and tutelage. We spoke with İbrahim Özkan, the İYİ Party's IMM (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality) Group Deputy Chair, who has expressed a stance in favor of cooperation, regarding Akşener's remarks.

In his statement to 12punto, Özkan emphasized that there has been a lack of communication between the two parties and said that if a concrete proposal comes from the CHP, negotiations could restart.

Journalist Barış Pehlivan had reported on a broadcast on Halktv that İbrahim Özkan argued that politics cannot be conducted against the will of the party organizations and that 'the Chair actually said she was in favor of cooperation.' Speaking to 12punto, Özkan stated that his words were not expressed quite accurately. Emphasizing that there has been a lack of communication between the two parties, Özkan stated that if a concrete proposal comes from the CHP, negotiations could restart. Özkan said the following:

‘I DID NOT SAY THAT’

“Actually, Barış Bey could not express the sentence quite accurately there. The Chair says, ‘I will not comment. However, I see that the organizations have a stance in favor of cooperation.’ So, the claim that she herself has a stance in favor of cooperation is not correct. I did not say that either. I am not a GİK (General Administrative Board) member. But I made the statement based on the information I received from my friends there. There, the Chair said the vote would be closed. Actually, there is a political message there. Meaning, if it is going to be closed, ‘it doesn't concern me who gives what.’ People might be hesitant in an open vote. ‘However, let me say that in the consultations held with the organizations, there is an intense stance in favor of cooperation. Negotiate among yourselves. Let everyone take the floor and speak,’ she says. Everyone takes the floor and expresses their own thoughts and ideas.”

The result that emerged is unfortunately 35. I am someone who has a stance in favor of cooperation. Mine is clear, I express this openly. Ultimately, at the end of the situation that emerged, the GİK made a decision. The Chair cannot implement something on her own. If she is given authority, she can carry out work, but unfortunately, this is the situation.”

COOPERATION IS NECESSARY

Özkan also emphasized that the process has not completely ended. Stating that no concrete proposal has come from the CHP to the İYİ Party, Özkan continued as follows:

“Certainly, in politics, processes never get completely blocked. Today, Turkey's ruling party, the party with the most votes, is the AK Party. It cannot be free and independent within this system. Parties are free to create their own policies, their own thoughts, and their own programs. However, the issue is winning elections, and to win elections, cooperation becomes necessary. Therefore, one must look at the total benefit. I understand the Chair's frustration very well. Because during the March 3-6 process, the İYİ Party was cornered like this. The Chair, who lived through that process, knows it very, very well. Therefore, if there could have been a concrete proposal from the CHP, it could have been voted on. There is no concrete proposal on the table. The stance of the GİK members is in that direction. Meaning, a situation emerged where ‘what are we voting on, there is no proposal on the table.’ The CHP side also thought it would not be elegant to go with a proposal while such a GİK decision exists. In the contacts I have made, that is the situation that emerges.”

Actually, a situation like a lack of communication has occurred. I hope that the CHP, especially by doing some work in Istanbul and Ankara, can knock on the party's door again with a concrete proposal.”

MUNICIPALITIES WHERE THE AK PARTY IS STRONG WERE PROPOSED

In his speech, Özkan also recalled the alliance negotiations held during the 2019 local elections. Explaining the municipalities offered to the İYİ Party in Istanbul, Özkan said the following:

“The İYİ Party actually does not look at issues very ideologically. It is a very young party. The İYİ Party was actually born out of a very difficult struggle. Therefore, if you are going to cooperate, you have to look at the total benefit. Now we are going back to 2019. The municipalities that were proposed in Istanbul are municipalities that the AK Party has been winning intensely for years. For example, Arnavutköy, Esenler, Bağcılar, Kağıthane. Even if you nominated Tayyip Erdoğan from the İYİ Party for these places, he could not win. There is a reservation among our GİK member friends that the same situation will happen again. This is also a very natural reservation. The one who should eliminate this is the CHP side. Meaning, they should have given that guarantee. That is why I think there is also a deficiency on the CHP side.”

I hope they can make a concrete proposal. Meaning, even though the GİK decision looks like a final and ultimate decision, in politics, the philosophy that ‘yesterday is yesterday, today is today’ always exists. Meaning, the saying that ‘24 hours is a very long time’ still maintains its validity. Those who do not have a story locally do not have a story nationally. Therefore, for the İYİ Party to have Metropolitan Mayoralties in these strong provinces and district mayoralties in strong districts is also valuable for party organizations and party members. The Chair also wants it, the deputies also want it; no one is happy about their party having no municipalities at all. But here, of course, if we are going to come out as the losers, if they are not going to come with proposals that can provide concrete gains, this situation will not happen.”

THE BALL IS IN THE CHP'S COURT

“Look, for example, the MHP has a municipality in Istanbul. Even though the İYİ Party received more votes, it has no municipality. Because they did not give us a place that could be won. I don't know if the situation at that time and the current situation will be the same. Mr. Özgür Özel seems more sincere to me than Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu. I hope they prepare a concrete proposal, do some work. It can certainly be discussed again. It can be brought to the GİK again. After all, GİK decisions are not verses. Meaning, they can be changed, they can be voted on again. I think the process can continue. But the ball is now in the CHP's court here.”