Müsavat Dervişoğlu makes statement on presidential candidacy

İYİ Party Chairman Müsavat Dervişoğlu broke his fast with approximately 1,500 people at the Adana Gülyalı Neighborhood Market. Following the iftar, Dervişoğlu made statements regarding the current agenda.

İYİ Party Chairman Müsavat Dervişoğlu attended the iftar program at the Adana Gülyalı Neighborhood Market.

In his remarks to journalists after the iftar, Dervişoğlu's agenda included the new reconciliation process, of which MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli is the architect.

Stating that the DEM Party had not requested an appointment with them, Dervişoğlu noted the following regarding MHP leader Bahçeli's remarks referring to terrorist leader Abdullah Öcalan as a 'founding leader':

“The places that should provide us with information on this subject are not the messengers of İmralı. If they want to knock on our door, whether to provide information or to be held accountable, they are welcome to have Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sit down and talk to us about the matter. Let us talk to the Minister of National Defense. Let us talk to the Minister of Interior. Let us talk to the authorized bodies of the Justice and Development Party. Let us talk to the Undersecretary of the MİT. If they want to inform us on behalf of the state, our door is open.

But we will never, ever sit down with those who grovel at the door of a terrorist. Others may sit down if they wish, and others may give them different titles. There may be those who talk about 'founding leadership' and so on. Look, I have been trying to use a very careful language by taking into account certain sensitivities and spiritual bonds until now, but I have seen and understood that an intellectual rift has formed between us and some others, and our paths have now parted until the end of the road. Let everyone know this as such.”

"I AM NOT OCCUPIED WITH ANY OF THESE"

Emphasizing that according to the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey, AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan cannot be a presidential candidate again, Dervişoğlu said, “But as you can see, they are making him compete with certain candidates. Because this competitive environment works in Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's favor. They also want us to be involved in these discussions. For instance, journalists ask, 'Will you be a presidential candidate?' Let the election time draw near, and I will announce then what I will or will not be. I will announce it when I am asked. This does not mean that we will be a presidential candidate. I say this to express that untimely discussions are of no benefit to this nation. They also ask, 'If you are not going to be a candidate, which candidate will you support?'

I am not occupied with any of these. I am concerned with the troubles of the nation. I am trying to empathize with the state of the nation. The trouble of the farmer who plants their field but cannot get the return for the sweat they shed on the soil is my trouble. The trouble of the retiree who cannot boil their pot is my trouble. The trouble of the youth who seek their future in visa queues is my trouble. You will not see us involved in these crude and unnecessary discussions,” he stated.