İYİ Party leader declines reelection bid following setback

ANKARA

İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener has announced that she will not seek reelection for the party leadership following a disappointing performance in the local elections held on March 31.

In a written statement shared on April 8, Akşener addressed the party's decision to contest the elections independently without forming an alliance with the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).

"While taking this decision, I was fully cognizant of the potential risk of unfavorable election results and the consequent need to bear the consequences," Akşener said. "I am personally content with the price we paid, commensurate with the election outcomes."

Following Akşener's announcement, Müsavat Dervişoğlu, one of the party's parliamentary leaders, revealed his intention to run for the party chairmanship via a post on social media.

Mehmet Tolga Akalın, İYİ Party's deputy leader responsible for immigration policies, and Günay Kodaz, a member of the party's founding board, had previously declared their candidacies.

The İYİ Party, despite not winning any mayoralty in the 2019 elections, played a significant role in securing victories for CHP candidates in key battlegrounds by abstaining from nominating its own candidate.

The decision not to forge an alliance with the CHP this time resulted in a wave of resignations within the party's ranks prior to the election setback.

The party's vote share plummeted from 7.3 percent to 3.77 percent, with its sole victory in the local elections being in Nevşehir.

Among those who stepped down after the polls were Buğra Kavuncu, the party's Istanbul mayoral candidate, who resigned from his position as the provincial chairman. Additionally, Burak Akburak, the deputy leader overseeing local governments, announced his resignation.

Ümit Özlale, the party's mayoral candidate for İzmir and a deputy, also tendered his resignation on April 8.