Erkan Baş addresses audio recordings, Zan responds

TİP Chairman Baş made statements on the program "Nokta Atışı" with İpek Özbey on SÖZCÜ TV. Stating, "We know that the AKP wants to win Hatay," Erkan Baş said, "If an independent candidate had been put forward, we would have supported them. We deliberately chose a candidate distant from us. Our goal was a broad alliance. TİP's goal was not 'let us govern Hatay'."

"OUR PRIMARY CANDIDATE WAS NOT GÖKHAN ZAN"

Using the phrase, "Our primary candidate was not Gökhan Zan," Erkan Baş stated, "Our primary candidate was the Hatay Bar Association President."

Speaking about the audio recording allegedly belonging to Gökhan Zan, whom they nominated for Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, Erkan Baş said, "There were rumors that there were recordings.

Our friends asked him directly. Zan said, 'If I cannot win, I must think about my future.' It was not possible for us to continue the process with this approach. What happens from here on is a matter for the law. Gökhan Zan did not come to the final meeting. He preferred to conduct his relationship through the press," he said.

ZAN JOINS LIVE BROADCAST

Following the statements made about him, Gökhan Zan responded to Erkan Baş's words. Zan said the following:

"I am someone who did not accept even when it was said that one of the deputy minister positions from the AK Party would be given to me last term. Erkan Baş said about me, 'To save his future...' I am someone who has already secured my future. I have no need for position, money, or fame. I am already someone who works as a commentator and a technical director. I have no concern about asking for this from the AKP, the CHP, or the Workers' Party. I would not enter into such a situation anyway; it is not my business. My own business is football and technical direction.

(Did you not say something like that?) No, never. Before the elections, they offered me sports projects to walk with them, and I expressed that I did not accept this. However, while chatting with one of those individuals, they asked, 'What will you do after politics if you don't win?..'

I said that I would start commentating and technical direction. I expressed this to Mr. Ahmet Şık. When the audio recording arrived on Saturday, I said, 'I absolutely do not accept this, I want to apply to the duty prosecutor's office.' They told me, 'No, please wait for Monday, we don't want you to rush, if we are sinking, we are sinking together, and if we are rising, we are rising together.' I said, 'No, I don't accept this, why are we waiting?' 

"YOU DID NOT SUPPORT ME INSTITUTIONALLY"

I had stated that I had been subjected to blackmail, setups, and threats for a month. Why didn't we go together as soon as we got our hands on it today? You told me you would support me institutionally, you should have done that too. After Saturday, they told me, 'If you are tired, you can withdraw.' I expected my party to say, 'We are together, the judiciary will decide, my people, there is such a rumor out there, while we respect the decision that will come from the judiciary, if our candidate becomes mayor and is involved in this, we will withdraw him.' 

Well, as soon as I went to the prosecutor's office on Sunday, what is the reason for the statement of withdrawing support they made within an hour, as if they were saving goods from a fire? I ask, does what they did fit political ethics? People are accusing me based on the party's statement. Ahmet Şık was there too. He said to me, 'We need to talk to you for Sunday.' I have four or five programs, I had already talked to them on Saturday. I called Mr. Erkan Baş twice. He did not return my calls. I called again, he turned off his phone.

My forehead is clear, my head is held high. What will they do with the result that will come from the judiciary tomorrow? What kind of decision will they make? Then I would like to express this, I am sorry but... I did not want to get into these events. I would have liked to talk about these face-to-face with my chairman. I wish he would connect so I could ask a few questions and he could clarify the whole situation. I ask, in Samandağ, Defne, Arsuz... why didn't they invite me to their rallies even once? Nearly 50 rallies were held in Samandağ, why wasn't I there?

"IF BARIŞ ATAY HAD BEEN THE CANDIDATE"

(Why do you think?) Mr. Erkan Baş needs to say that. That is why I wanted to talk. I want to ask these questions. Why are there photos of Erkan Baş, Barış Atay, and Defne's mayoral candidate Mehmet Güzelyurt on the election posters in Defne, and not mine? Why is there no photo of the metropolitan mayoral candidate?

(Are you talking about the situation before your candidacy was withdrawn?) Yes. Then Barış Atay should have been the candidate. Because I love Erkan Baş, because I love his upright stance... I have great respect for him. He will remain such a person. But to discredit me like this, to carry out a trial by media... Everyone is innocent until a decision comes from the judiciary. What was this rush, why did you make a statement as if saving goods from a fire? Do you not trust the judiciary? Did you force me to do this to discredit me by carrying out a trial by media? 

Do you know what they told me while I was walking with my people yesterday? TİP's Defne candidate Mehmet Güzelyurt is going around saying, 'You will vote for TİP locally and for Lütfü Savaş in the metropolitan area.' I can never accept this. Arsuz's candidates, municipal council candidates say, 'Gökhan Zan cannot enter Arsuz, we are working with Lütfü Savaş here.' I told Ahmet Şık, Erkan Baş, and all party founders that I had received all these rumors. They didn't make a single program for me. If I am a candidate, my party should have stood behind me.

I couldn't go to Samandağ and hold a rally. They held 30 rallies. I couldn't hold a rally with the district mayor. They told me, 'You are not in Samandağ, that is another alliance.' Then you sold me out a long time ago. I did not deserve these."