İYİ Party to enter local elections alone as a 'third way'

İYİ Party Chair Meral Akşener spoke in Trabzon. Akşener made statements regarding the local elections and alliance debates.

Stating that there is a need for a third option in the local elections, Akşener said, "With the 14 'yes' and 35 'no' votes received by our General Administrative Board, we will strive to create a solitary, third way."

Regarding the resignation of Istanbul MP Ayşe Sibel Yanıkömeroğlu, Akşener said, "I could have said that Ms. Ayşe Sibel was the last friend I would expect to leave our party in my eyes."

"THIS IS OUR CLAIM"

Speaking about the stagnation in the country since the establishment phase of the İYİ Party, Akşener said, "I think that God and our nation will see the efforts made to eliminate that psychology of constant bickering between the two fists in this country. Our goal is not to pit people against each other, to make them enemies, to insult them based on their affiliations, or to make them enemies based on their affiliations, whether political or sectarian; our goal is to bring all these people together and present a service approach where we take everyone's opinion in that city and find a remedy for their troubles. This is our claim," she said.

"THOSE WHO VOTE AND THOSE WHO DO NOT ARE BOTH HELD IN HIGH REGARD"

Explaining another difference of the İYİ Party from all other political parties, Akşener noted, "We consider the voter as a benefactor. We do not have a behavior or belief that the voter who votes for the İYİ Party is a desirable person, and the person who does not vote for the İYİ Party is an undesirable person. We are a political party that acts in accordance with the motto that our nation, both those who vote and those who do not, should be held in high regard and are our benefactors."

Akşener said, "When we received fewer votes, we questioned ourselves with the 9.68 percent of the vote we received in 2023. We said, 'We could not reach our nation enough, we could not explain ourselves.' We held discussions on how we could reach them again by questioning ourselves. As a result, we decided to walk the path based on that."

THE 50+1 ISSUE

Furthermore, stating that the system under the name of the Presidential Government System is essentially a partisan presidential system, the İYİ Party leader noted the following: "The 50 plus 1 system brought by this system has deepened polarization in Turkey much further. If we can succeed together in this election in a language of election where the voter's troubles are discussed, projects are made based on the voter's demands, and competition is entirely based on service, the voter wins."

Akşener also added, "If we can explain ourselves correctly in this election, our voters desire to get rid of this gray atmosphere experienced in Turkey. There is a need for a third option. With the 14 'yes' and 35 'no' votes received by our General Administrative Board, we will strive to create a solitary, third way. We will enter the election free and independent."

"I have been actively involved in politics for 30 years; for the first time, we held a 9-hour meeting where GAB (General Administrative Board) members addressed each other with arguments, trying to convince each other without fighting or insulting. It was a decision that our friends made among themselves, where democracy was fully applied and we all said we would abide by the result, and as the chair, I did not even make a hint. I am proud of all our friends who used 'yes' or 'no' in this decision. This is a first in Turkey. Our party has become a political party that believes in and practices democracy much more than political parties older than us, and surpasses older parties in terms of institutionalization," she said.

"I WISH HER SUCCESS"

"I have never made any comments against anyone, including our friends who left our party and even slandered or insulted me while leaving, nor have I had any behavior that would upset or put them in a difficult situation. I could have said that Ms. Ayşe Sibel was the last friend I would expect to leave our party in my eyes. She came and became a founder for us under the conditions of that period when the party was being established. I respect her decision. When viewed through the lens of democracy, Ms. Yanıkömeroğlu may not like the decision taken; I respect that too. I wish her success."