She donned the badge, targeted her former camp: Burcu Köksal's Erdoğan confession

Afyonkarahisar Mayor Burcu Köksal has made her first comprehensive statement since leaving the CHP to join the AKP. Köksal, who joined the party on May 12 after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pinned the AKP badge on her, explained both the process of her departure from the CHP and the details of her meeting with Erdoğan.

"WORKING WITH MR. KEMAL WAS WONDERFUL"

Stating that she served in various roles within the CHP, Köksal made notable remarks about former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

Köksal said, "I worked during the terms of Mr. Baykal, Mr. Kemal, and Mr. Özgür. Working with Mr. Kemal was wonderful. He is a person whose name was never associated with corruption, theft, or immorality."

Expressing that a new era began in the CHP following the party congress, Köksal stated, "A new era began with Özgür Özel becoming chairman. We said we would work as chairman. However, we could not work very healthily. There is another team that Özgür Özel wants to work with," she said.

"I WAS SOMEONE WHOM İMAMOĞLU HAD EXPELLED FROM THE PARTY"

Evaluating the process of her departure from the CHP, Köksal argued that there was a harmony problem within the party due to her support for Kılıçdaroğlu.

Touching upon the process of her candidacy for the Afyonkarahisar mayoralty, Köksal said, "Because we supported Kılıçdaroğlu, naturally, there wasn't much harmony. In the meantime, my candidacy for the Afyonkarahisar mayoralty came to the agenda. I think it was a bit like this: they probably thought that if I became a candidate without resigning from the deputy group chairmanship, the seat would become vacant," she expressed.

Claiming that negative reports were published about her in media outlets close to the CHP during the election process, Köksal used the following expressions:

"They even started propaganda on channels close to the CHP aimed at ensuring I wouldn't win the election, saying things like, 'She can't win, she'll get 5 percent of the vote, who does she think she is to stand up to İmamoğlu?' I came, I entered the election, I was elected with the votes of our fellow citizens in Afyonkarahisar, and I won."

Stating that she felt politically lonely, Köksal said, "I felt politically lonely because you are someone whom İmamoğlu has expelled from the party, and the party has declared him as its presidential candidate. In this situation, I was completely left alone."

She described her decision to join the AKP with these words:

"That is why, since I already felt like an independent, I left the CHP and joined the AK Party to engage in politics with our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose priorities for my hometown and loyalty I have always appreciated."

"BELOW-THE-BELT POLITICS ARE PRACTICED IN THE CHP"

Speaking about the criticisms directed at her after joining the AKP, Köksal argued that she was considered successful during her time as a mayor in the CHP, but faced different accusations after changing parties.

Köksal said, "When I was a mayor in the CHP, I was seen as a very successful mayor. Once I joined the AK Party, I started to be accused of theft, corruption, and issues regarding my private life."

Expressing that she was saddened by the criticisms directed at her, Köksal made the following assessment:

"This is the point that saddens me the most. Regardless of which political party or view you belong to, I have stood against the slander of a woman's honor and the practice of below-the-belt politics my entire life. I engaged in politics against the AK Party for years, but I never saw such a thing from the AK Party. But today, after joining the AK Party, unfortunately, I see below-the-belt politics from the other side."

"ERDOĞAN TREATED ME VERY WARMLY"

Sharing the details of her first meeting with President Erdoğan, Köksal said that Erdoğan treated her with closeness and sincerity.

Köksal said, "He approached me very closely, very warmly, and very sincerely; he acted in a fatherly manner. This made me very happy and surprised me."