High-ranking IYI Party official makes statement on alliance with AKP

IYI Party Deputy Chairman Tolga Akalın made notable statements regarding his party's local election and alliance strategy.

"ZERO BELOW ZERO"

Speaking during a live broadcast on Halk TV, Akalın responded to a question about recent claims that an alliance could be formed between the IYI Party and the AKP. Akalın said, "No, zero. Zero below zero. It is not on the table anywhere. Such a possibility of an alliance, perhaps there was an exception in the Iğdır region. But it is not on the table."

"ERDOĞAN WOULD THINK UNTIL MORNING"

Akalın stated that the AKP does not want to pull the IYI Party to its side, but rather wants to polarize it, saying:

"If they put a public opinion poll in front of Tayyip Erdoğan this evening showing that the CHP's vote share has risen to 30 percent, Tayyip Erdoğan would sleep soundly. But if they told him that the IYI Party had risen above 15 percent, he would think until morning. Therefore, there is a strategy by Erdoğan to push the IYI Party to the opposite side rather than pulling it to his own. He wants to remove the IYI Party from its central position and make it a side. The political order that has been formed in Turkey for 22 years is an order built by Erdoğan. Our attempt in this 3rd year is about tearing down the established political order and building a new one. It is difficult, of course, it is not easy."