AKP delegation meets İYİ Party's new leader

ANKARA

A ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) delegation, including the party's parliamentary leaders, visited the İYİ (Good) Party's new leader, Müsavat Dervişoğlu, on May 30.

The AKP delegation was led by Abdullah Güler, Özlem Zengin, Bahadır Yenişehirlioğlu, Abdulhamit Gül and Muhammet Emin Akaşoğlu, and included the party’s deputy leader, Mustafa Elitaş.

Representing the İYİ Party at the meeting were parliamentary leaders Turhan Çömez and Buğra Kavuncu.

No statements were made by either party following the meeting.

Recently, the İYİ Party decided not to renew its partnership with the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) for the March elections, leading to a significant drop in its vote share from 7.3 percent to 3.77 percent.

The setback prompted an extraordinary congress and a subsequent leadership change, with former head Meral Akşener stepping down and not seeking reelection.

This meeting is part of a broader "softening period" in Turkish politics. Earlier this month, President and AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted CHP leader Özgür Özel. Erdoğan has announced plans to reciprocate Özel's visit to the CHP.

Özel, meanwhile, has met with various political leaders, including Dervişoğlu and Mustafa Destici, head of the ruling alliance partner Great Union Party (BBP).

The CHP leader's engagements are set to continue, with planned visits to Felicity Party (SP) leader Temel Karamollaoğlu and New Welfare Party (YRP) leader Fatih Erbakan in the upcoming days.