First statement from Ömer Karakaş after joining AKP: 'I changed my party, not my principles'

Aydın MP Ömer Karakaş has broken his silence following his resignation from the İYİ Party and his subsequent move to the AKP. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pinned the AKP badge on Karakaş during a program held as part of the party's 25th-anniversary celebrations.

Responding to criticisms that he had "changed his principles" following his party switch, Karakaş stated that he did not view his decision as a departure from his political stance.

According to a report on tv100, Karakaş said, "I did not change my principles. I changed my party to better serve my ideas."

Karakaş, who was among the founders of the İYİ Party, had previously announced his resignation on his social media account. In his post, Karakaş stated, "I am resigning from the İYİ Party, of which I was a founder and an MP, due to necessity."

Karakaş's transition to the AKP also came to the fore during one of the recent votes in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). In the "framework law" vote held in the General Assembly on Monday, August 10, 563 MPs cast their votes, resulting in 467 in favor, 87 against, and 7 abstentions.

It was noted that while all AKP MPs voted "yes" in the vote, Gaziantep MP Mehmet Mustafa Gübran, who joined the AKP alongside Karakaş, cast a "no" vote.

News Source: 12punto