Akşener calls on İYİ Party grassroots to revive spirit of Independence War

ANKARA

İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener called on her party grassroots to revive the spirit of “May 19,” the day when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk arrived in the Black Sea city of Samsun from Istanbul in 1919, which marked the beginning of the Turkish War of Independence.

“Will you take an oath to resurrect the spirit of 1919 with us, unconditionally for the ideal of full independence, to rekindle our holy fire?” she asked on May 18, addressing the İYİ Party’s parliamentary group meeting.

After one century that has passed since May 19, 1919, the name of the “invaders has changed, but the occupation plan has not changed,” she said, adding that the integrity of Turkey and the independence of the nation were in danger.

“While our institutions are being worn out and emptied, the dignity, seriousness and memory of our state are being destroyed every day, and today, as in the past, the government cannot fulfil its responsibilities and is dragging our nation to extinction,” Akşener said.

“We will continue to commemorate Atatürk, despite those who are offended even by his name. We will continue to perpetuate the legacy of Atatürk, in spite of those who removed the picture of Atatürk and the Turkish flag so that terrorists would not be disturbed during the Republic Day week,” she stated.

“A heavy and gloomy cloud” has been hovering over Turkey for a long time in fields such as economy, education, foreign policy and security, Akşener said. “We are grappling with countless problems in every field.”