İYİ Party leader announces İzmir candidate for local polls

ANKARA

Ümit Özlale will run for mayor for İzmir as the candidate of the İYİ (Good) Party in the upcoming local elections, the party chairwoman has announced, in a signal that her party will run independently despite the calls for cooperation by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

“I declare the candidacy of Ümit Özlale for the mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality,” İYİ Party leader Meral Akşener said on Sept. 20 during a visit to the city. İzmir, a stronghold of the CHP, is being run by Tunç Soyer, who was elected for the job in 2019.

Özlale, an economist, was elected to the parliament from İzmir in the May 14 parliamentary polls. Following the defeat of the six-party Nation Alliance in the May polls, Akşener said she will not establish alliances for the upcoming local polls slated for March 31, 2024.

In the 2019 elections, however, the İYİ Party and the CHP collaborated in the local polls and won Istanbul and Ankara mayor posts along with some other municipalities.

Akşener stressed that her party would not join political alliances regardless of what would be the election results. “If these results are disappointing and saddening, it will be my responsibility, and I will do whatever is necessary,” she stated.

“But we will race independently in the local elections in line with the decision taken by our executive board,” Akşener said.

She also said the İYİ Party will run independently in the 2028 parliamentary and presidential polls.