Surprise phone call to Özlem Çerçioğlu, who joined the AKP: 'I told her to trust Erdoğan'

Former Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu shared details of a phone conversation he had with Aydın Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu, who switched from the CHP to the AK Party. 

Süleyman Soylu stated that Çerçioğlu leaving her party was an important development for the AKP. He noted that he told her this step was valuable not only for Çerçioğlu herself but for the entire party.

Former Minister Soylu expressed that the AK Party should not be closed to new participants and that this should be demonstrated with concrete examples.

'TRUST ERDOĞAN'

Stating that he personally called Özlem Çerçioğlu on the phone to congratulate her, Soylu continued his remarks as follows:

“I don't think she was expecting my call, but I felt that she was very pleased. I told her, ‘Trust Tayyip Erdoğan.’ This was an important development.”