Ayhan TAŞPINARLIOĞLU-12punto.com.tr
İYİ Party Chair Meral Akşener announced on her social media account that she has decided to hold an elective congress due to the results her party received in the local elections and that she will not be a candidate for the party leadership.
Following Akşener's decision not to run, İzmir MP Ümit Özlale, who held important positions within the İYİ Party, announced that he has resigned from his party.
Due to Ümit Özlale's resignation, the number of seats the İYİ Party holds in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) has dropped from 38 to 37.
12punto asked Özlale the question that the public is curious about: ''Why did you resign from the İYİ Party?''
We heard your decision to resign from the İYİ Party after Meral Akşener announced she would not be a candidate for the party leadership. Why did you resign? Does your resignation have anything to do with Akşener not running?
''It has everything to do with it.
Have you received any offers from any other party?
No, I have not. I did not resign to become a candidate for another party.
How do you interpret Bilge Yılmaz's call for Akşener to resign on election night?
That is his own decision. Bilge Yılmaz was an academic I worked with both on the executive board and while preparing economic policies. He expressed his own feelings and thoughts. It would not be right for me to comment on his thoughts.
Did you have a meeting with the party chair?
We spoke on the phone. It was a very pleasant conversation. We wished each other a happy holiday.''
News Source: Ayhan Taşpınarlıoğlu
