İYİ Party willing to continue Nation Alliance, Akşener says

ANKARA

İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener has said they are in favor of continuing the Nation Alliance, noting the rumors about the government aiming to make changes in the electoral system.

“We receive information about changes in the electoral system. I do not know how accurate the information is about the amendments to the election law by the ruling party. There are rumors [over the law] that alliances will also end,” She told broadcaster HaberTürk on Nov. 26.

“There is no harm in continuing the rational structure that we had success with,” Akşener added, referring to the Nation Alliance.

Akşener also cited at the resignation of High Advisory Board member Bülent Arınç after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s criticism for his call for the release of prisoned philanthropist Osman Kavala and former People’s Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş.

The İYİ Party leader suggested that Arınç made that statement over the consent of Erdoğan, but the president changed his mind after a couple of days on seeing that the move would not yield the support that he sought.

“I predict that Bülent Bey’s speech was within the knowledge of Tayyip Bey,” she stated.

“They waited for three days. The surveys were completed, and the feedbacks did not endorse. As a result, Mr. Erdoğan was offended,” she said, referring to a statement in which Erdoğan said he was offended with the remarks of Arınç.

Akşener also said her background has authoritarian parties and political structures, but she aims to avoid such a perspective.

“We are trying to endogenize democracy. We all come from very authoritarian structures. I try not to become authoritarian. I am determined to internalize democracy as a leader,” she said.

Akşener earlier served within True Path Party (DYP), then participated in the founding work of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in early 2000 but drew apart soon. Later she joined the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) but was expelled from it as she objected to its party leader Devlet Bahçeli.

The İYİ Party also had an alliance with the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Felicity Party (SP) and Democratic Party (DP) in 2018 for elections.