AKP responds promptly to Özgür Özel's call for a by-election! 'CHP cannot manage municipalities, but...'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel reiterated his demand for a by-election after meeting with DEM Party Co-Chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan. Noting that eight parliamentary seats are currently vacant, Özel stated that the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) must call for a by-election as soon as possible, and made the following assessment:

“There are currently 8 vacant parliamentary seats. It is mandatory for the TBMM to decide on a by-election for the vacant seats as soon as possible and for the Speaker of the TBMM to do what is required. The process of forcing 22 deputies to resign to hold a by-election is for the first 30 months. A by-election should be held now anyway. No one should say it cannot happen if 22 deputies do not resign.”

DEM Party's Tülay Hatimoğulları also commented on Özel's move, stating, "If there is a demand from society for an early election, we will take this message into account."

AKP Deputy Chairman Efkan Ala, on the other hand, responded to the opposition's call with a sharp statement at an event he attended. Ala said, “There is no by-election or anything of the sort. The CHP cannot manage the municipalities, yet they want an election.”