Mehmet Metiner's 'silence' criticism: 'The President was not just left alone, he was also struck from within'

Protests continue across the country following the arrests of mayors and party members, most notably the removed Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and CHP presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu.

Former AKP MP Mehmet Metiner argued in a statement on his social media account that AKP members have remained silent on the process. Metiner used the following expressions:

"During the Gezi process, no one came out and spoke. During the December 17/25 process, no one came out and spoke. For a long time, at that. Except for a few people who went on screen and spoke, everyone was buried in a deep silence.

During the struggle against FETÖ, the President was alone, except for a few people who openly supported him. The President was not just left alone; he was also struck from within. The opposition within our own ranks was more ruthless.

On July 15, they were not in the squares. They appeared as the mujahideen of July 16. But they always found a way to be in prestigious positions.

Now, too, except for a few people, no one is coming out to speak or react. We are in a desert of deep silence. Many of those in the most prestigious positions do not even have a single post.

I congratulate them. They are very clever, indeed!"