Fatih Altaylı stands by the Ümit Özlale claim denied by Akşener: 'If I am saying something...'

Journalist Fatih Altaylı has responded to IYI Party's İzmir candidate Ümit Özlale.

In his column today, where he relayed Özlale's response to him—which stated, "I had laughed off the unsigned, commissioned report on Odatv. Since you took this report, which is clearly commissioned, into consideration, I felt the need to make this statement"—Altaylı noted the following regarding the Özlale agenda that has been stirring up the IYI Party:

"IT IS FOR YOU TO KNOW THAT I AM SAYING IT BASED ON MY OWN SOURCES"

"It is true, I first saw the report on Oda Tv. However, I also asked my own sources. My sources within the IYI Party, whom I know you are also closely acquainted with. The incident actually has a long history. As the IYI Party's İzmir Metropolitan Municipality mayoral candidate, you were already complaining about the İzmir organization and an Istanbul deputy—let's name him, Ersagun Yücel—working against you. The information reaching you indicated that if the CHP nominated Buğra Gökçe, the İzmir Provincial Organization would resign and switch to the CHP en masse, and that Ersagun Yücel, a former İzmir Municipality employee, would be involved in this organization.

Indeed, when you received news that the İzmir Provincial Organization held a meeting against you at the beginning of January, you informed the Chair and rightly said, 'I will raid this meeting.' Chair Akşener, telling you to stay calm and that she would do what is necessary, dismissed the provincial organization on January 11. Is everything correct up to this point? Correct...

Let's come to the latest incident. You are informed that a conspiracy is being plotted against you. The information is that a message was prepared claiming that you were investigating the financial situations of Akşener's Chief of Staff Esma Bekar and her spouse, and that this would be forwarded to the Chair. In fact, this message is also shared with you. Upon this, you share this situation with Akşener. You are quite offended when Akşener, who reads the message and notices that it looks like it came from the same pen as the message regarding Ümit Dikbayır, laughs and says, 'I think we mixed up the Ümits.' And as far as I know, you are waiting for the Chair to do what is necessary regarding this matter, the perpetrators of which are known. I suppose this information is not on Oda Tv.

The reason I am writing in such detail is for you to know that if I am saying something, I am saying it based on my own sources, not on unsigned reports. I offer my regards, my dear Professor."

News Source: 12punto