Şamil Tayyar: Saadet Party's presidential candidate announcement is a PR stunt

While opposition parties reiterate their demands for early elections on almost every platform they attend, Saadet Party Chairman Mahmut Arıkan made notable remarks regarding his party's presidential candidate during a program he attended recently.

Mahmut Arıkan, appearing as a guest on Now Haber amid ongoing early election debates, announced that his party has begun work on its presidential candidate.

Describing the candidate's profile but withholding the name, Arıkan said, “Let me put it this way: let's keep them for now so that the population in Silivri doesn't increase by one more. It is beneficial to leave that for a later time.” he stated.

NOTABLE COMMENT FROM AKP'S ŞAMİL TAYYAR

AKP's Tayyar commented on these words by Saadet Party Chairman Arıkan on his social media account, stating that such an announcement was a clever PR stunt. Şamil Tayyar further claimed that the Saadet Party's candidate would not be able to create such a significant impact.

Tayyar used the following expressions:

"Saadet Party Chairman Mahmut Arıkan announced that they have a surprise presidential candidate who would cause great excitement when their name is heard.

If he had announced the name, it wouldn't have created this much impact; it is a clever, nice PR stunt.

Forgive me, but I personally do not think such a name exists.

Furthermore, I am not of the opinion that there is a name in Turkey with the potential to receive over 50 percent of the vote just by their name alone.

Circumstances produce their own candidates.

When the conditions are met, someone you never accounted for overcomes all obstacles and crosses the finish line.

Look at:

Menderes.

Demirel.

Erbakan.

Özal.

Erdoğan.

If you look at it from the reverse.

As long as the conditions that brought the government to power are maintained, a new need does not arise.

Look at:

2003 Erdoğan.

2026 Erdoğan.

As a final word, let me repeat my old sentence:

The AK Party's rival is again the AK Party."

Saadet Party Chairman Mahmut Arıkan announced that they have a surprise presidential candidate who would cause great excitement when their name is heard.

If he had announced the name, it wouldn't have created this much impact; it is a clever, nice PR stunt.

Forgive me, but I personally do not think such a name exists...

— Şamil Tayyar (@samiltayyar27) May 1, 2026

News Source: 12punto