It was said to have influenced the ‘No’ decision: Gökhan Günaydın speaks to 12punto: If you look for trouble where there is none, you will find it

Ercan KÜÇÜK -12punto.com.tr

Contrary to expectations, the İYİ Party rejected the ‘cooperation’ proposal from the CHP. While the decision to reject the proposal was made by a majority vote in the General Administrative Board (GİK), it was alleged that the statements made by CHP Deputy Group Chairman Gökhan Günaydın on a television channel while the meeting was still ongoing had an impact on the decision. Speaking to 12Punto, Günaydın said there is no need to look for trouble where there is none.

The İYİ Party discussed the ‘cooperation’ proposal from the CHP at its GİK meeting. In the closed-ballot vote, the decision was ‘No’ with 35 votes against 14. It was alleged that the statements made by CHP Deputy Group Chairman Gökhan Günaydın on a television channel while the GİK meeting was ongoing influenced the İYİ Party’s decision. Günaydın stated the following:

"We are already continuing our preparations for 1,400 electoral districts. If the İYİ Party tells us that we can work together in these 15, 20, or 200 electoral districts, then we will sit down and review our work in that direction once more." 

“A 100-year-old political party does not halt its work just because another party does not want to cooperate with us. If the İYİ Party rejects this, it will have repercussions both within the İYİ Party base and the CHP base."

According to the allegations, Günaydın’s statements were shared by a Twitter user close to the İYİ Party, whom Chairwoman Meral Akşener also follows. The statement was brought to the GİK meeting and discussed in GİK groups. Akşener was also reportedly angered by Günaydın’s statements.

12punto reached out to Gökhan Günaydın and asked him about these discussions. Emphasizing that he was repeating the words he said on the program, Günaydın stated that his words were very clear. Günaydın said the following:

“The CHP respects the decisions of all other political parties. It will also respect all decisions to be made by the İYİ Party. If a positive decision comes from the GİK, we will work on a district-by-district basis for cooperation. If a positive decision does not come from the İYİ Party GİK, the CHP is a 100-year-old party; it will, of course, chart its own path. What should I have said instead?

Should I have said that we would die if the İYİ Party did not look favorably upon cooperation with us? I am saying once again what I said that day. It is within the bounds of political courtesy. Not a single disrespectful expression was used against the İYİ Party. I stated that if the CHP’s cooperation offer is accepted, we will work together, and if it is rejected, we will plan our work accordingly. I don’t think anything else can be said. These words are so clear and so consistent with the ordinary flow of life. But if you want to look for trouble where there is none, you will find it.”

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu had emphasized that the ‘Istanbul Alliance’ was established at the grassroots level in Istanbul. When we reminded Günaydın that the İYİ Party is not in the alliance that won the election for İmamoğlu in 2019, he said:

“Ekrem İmamoğlu is our İBB Mayor in Istanbul. Ekrem İmamoğlu will seek the votes of all 16 million of our citizens in Istanbul who are voters, just as he did in 2019. You can call it whatever you want. He will seek all of them. He will get what he can.”