Oktay Saral, Chief Advisor to AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who had been at the center of controversy following his remarks regarding headscarves in Azerbaijan, had been removed from his post. Saral announced in a statement on his social media account that he has submitted his resignation from his position.
In his post on his X account, Saral stated, "Today, I have submitted my resignation from my position as Chief Advisor to our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which I have carried out with great honor, pride, and responsibility since 2016."
Today, I have submitted my resignation from my position as Chief Advisor to our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which I have carried out with great honor, pride, and responsibility since 2016. Positions come and go, titles change hands. The real issue is not which position a person holds, but which values they stand behind. For us, what is essential is not the positions, but our cause that we have walked in the same direction for years and the struggle we have waged shoulder to shoulder with our President. This decision of mine does not mean taking a step back from the values I believe in and my will to serve our nation. Just as it was yesterday, today and tomorrow, I will continue to walk alongside our President with the same faith and determination. May God make us not among those who seek power in the shadow of positions, but among those who stand tall in the light of truth. May He make us among those who defend the values they believe in, whatever the cost.
— Oktay SARAL (@oktay_saral) October 26, 2026
Emphasizing in his statement that positions and titles are temporary, Saral stated that the real issue is "which values one stands behind." Saral expressed that he will continue to walk on the same path as President Erdoğan.
The statement made by Saral from his X account is as follows:
"Today, I have submitted my resignation from my position as Chief Advisor to our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which I have carried out with great honor, pride, and responsibility since 2016.
Positions come and go, titles change hands. The real issue is not which position a person holds, but which values they stand behind. For us, what is essential is not the positions, but our cause that we have walked in the same direction for years and the struggle we have waged shoulder to shoulder with our President.
This decision of mine does not mean taking a step back from the values I believe in and my will to serve our nation. Just as it was yesterday, today and tomorrow, I will continue to walk alongside our President with the same faith and determination.
May God make us not among those who seek power in the shadow of positions, but among those who stand tall in the light of truth. May He make us among those who defend the values they believe in, whatever the cost."
News Source: 12punto
