İYİ Party MP Dikbayır responds to resignation rumors with video: 'I am fighting a battle for dignity'

İYİ Party 27th and 28th Term Sakarya MP Ümit Dikbayır made statements on his X account regarding the investigation launched against him and the resignation rumors.

In the video he released, Dikbayır included the following statements:

"While our Turkey and our nation are waiting for solutions to their political problems, unfortunately, the agenda has been occupied by certain allegations and rumors in recent days. This artificial agenda created over the İYİ Party also includes some allegations and slanders regarding my person. First of all, I would like to state that the İYİ Party is a political movement founded by taking vital responsibilities and risks during the most oppressive period in Turkish democratic history."

"FUEL WAS ADDED TO THAT FIRE"

"Despite all the obstacles and traps, the biggest share in the success of the İYİ Party, which has found a place for itself in politics and surprised even the powerful, belongs to the brave and courageous people who believed in this cause without seeking any expectations, fame, or praise. This includes myself; our party's officeholders have experienced emotional satisfaction thanks to the efforts of thousands of brave hearts. Politics produces celebrities and heroes. However, the true heroes of the İYİ Party are the unsung laborers of this cause, from provincial and district chairs to neighborhood representatives, and from provincial and district executives to all our members. Those unsung heroes have spent time away from their spouses, children, and jobs for this movement to grow stronger. And they have been able to sacrifice for our party and our country, especially for our esteemed Chairwoman, without expecting anything in return. It should not be forgotten that these sacrifices are the most sacred trusts given to us for the future of our country and the Turkish nation. However, we have witnessed in recent times that these efforts and trusts have been overshadowed by certain allegations and rumors. The İYİ Party, which should be mentioned as a hope for our nation, is unfortunately being mentioned with slanders and rumors. Although my own honor and dignity were at stake from the first days, I maintained my silence so that the efforts of my fellow party members would not be wasted, not even by a speck of dust. I believed and waited for our Chairwoman to break these rumors and slanders and do what is necessary. I believed that our esteemed Chairwoman would not allow any effort given to the İYİ Party to be used in the same sentence with slander, theft, and money relations. But it did not happen. Instead of preventing these crooked and wrong affairs, fuel was added to that fire. While maintaining my silence, I requested that the allegations against me be investigated to ease the party's burden and give it some breathing room. I submitted petitions to both the Party Disciplinary Board and the İYİ Party Turkish Grand National Assembly group management. However, I experienced with sadness that the sensitivity I showed in protecting the efforts I saw as a sacred trust did not find a response in our party's authorized institutions."

"THIS IS NOT A BATTLE I AM FIGHTING ONLY FOR MYSELF"

"At the point we have reached, it is impossible for me to remain silent in the face of the shadow cast upon the İYİ Party, which promised the sun to Turkey and the Turkish nation. I saw that silence would serve no purpose other than to empower the calculating and cunning individuals and circles that have nested around our Chairwoman and are attempting to shadow that sun. We are facing such a reckless slander campaign that the allegations change every day. New lies are produced every day. New hearts are broken every day. Indeed, the rumors that started with the lie that I had the bank accounts of our esteemed Chairwoman and her relatives examined have today dragged into an immoral whirlpool where harassment slanders, which are cited as the reason for my referral to the disciplinary board, are being made. I cannot remain silent while a group that can become this base and this accustomed continues to pollute more good and brave people. I am fighting a battle for dignity. This battle is not a battle I am fighting only for myself. This battle is for all our laborers, all our voters who have given their hearts to this cause, especially my family, whom I hold dearer than my life. It is to prevent the İYİ Party from being mentioned with rumors and slanders that no one deserves. This movement is not a movement without an owner where a few self-important people who act like bosses over all our laborers can attempt to poison the Chairwoman's mind and conscience with their lies. This movement is not a movement that will be crushed and discredited by the rumors of five self-important people who act like lords over all of us, from our district chairs to our brave members working in the neighborhoods. This movement is not a movement that can be a toy in the hands of a self-important group that thinks they can manage the Turkish elements, thinking they own the party as their personal property. This movement is not a movement where an arrogant group can spend good and brave people like loose change. Because of these facts and the responsibilities they impose, I have taken and am taking the necessary steps. I am now carrying these uglinesses to the agenda of law and justice. I demand that all allegations be investigated and the truth be revealed. This is my debt of honor to the family of the good and brave, which gave me the opportunity to perform honorable duties such as Deputy Chairmanship and MP. From this point on, all the sin is on the necks of those who ignore the eternal elegance of silence. I respectfully submit this to the knowledge of the Turkish nation."

To the knowledge of the Great Turkish Nation… pic.twitter.com/g2d7ct734c

— Ümit Dikbayır (@UmitDikbayir) November 21, 2023

WHAT HAD DIKBAYIR SAID BEFORE?

İYİ Party leader Meral Akşener had referred Sakarya MP Ümit Dikbayır, who was the target of allegations that he "had the accounts of herself, her family, and her chief of staff examined illegally," to the disciplinary board with a request for permanent expulsion.

Dikbayır, who was claimed to be resigning after the expulsion request, had said in a live broadcast he attended yesterday (November 20), "A resignation is out of the question. I am a founder of this party, I have a great effort invested in it."

Later, Dikbayır spoke to Sözcü TV.

Dikbayır had stated, "I changed my mind. I saw that if I resigned, it would be blamed on me, so I will continue to fight until the end."