While discussions continue regarding the departure of Chief Advisor to the President Oktay Saral from his post, a noteworthy statement has come from former AKP MP Şamil Tayyar.
In a post on his social media account, Tayyar stated that in the past, he was removed from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's delegation for a trip to Russia due to Russia's reaction.
Recalling the crisis between Ankara and Moscow following the downing of a Russian jet on the Syrian border in 2015, Tayyar stated that he had made harsh posts directed at the Russian administration at that time.
Tayyar said that although relations between the two countries later normalized, these posts were not forgotten by the Russian side.
In the subsequent period, I was in the delegation for our President's trip to Russia; upon the reaction of the Russians, I was removed from the delegation on the last night.
Tayyar also stated that he had a long conversation with Saral after he submitted his resignation letter, and conveyed that Saral was not resentful, as he had expressed in his social media post.
Using the phrase "Sometimes in international relations, if the country's interest demands a 'sacrifice,' you become the 'sacrifice'" in his post, Tayyar said that lessons should be learned from what happened.
News Source: 12punto
