MHP Bahçeli’s closest aide announces his resignation

ANKARA

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Oktay Vural, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) deputy parliamentary group leader and a close aide of party leader Devlet Bahçeli, has announced his resignation from his position, dealing a major blow to the latter in his struggle against growing internal opposition ahead of a key convention on July 10. 

Vural, speaking to reporters on June 22, confirmed his resignation, underlining that he informed MHP leader Bahçeli of his decision on June 21, following the party’s weekly parliamentary group meeting. 

On a question whether he will run for the party leadership during the upcoming convention on July 10, Vural said he would “evaluate the process” and would be issuing a written statement to better explain his position in due course. 

Vural has long served as the deputy parliamentary group leader of the MHP and was regarded as the “second man” in the party, after MHP chair Bahçeli. 

His decision to resign came three days after an opposition group within the MHP held an extraordinary convention and made substantial changes to the party’s internal regulations in an effort to topple Bahçeli at the upcoming convention on July 10. 

In a statement on April 20, Vural expressed his discomfort at developments within the party, indirectly urging the MHP leader to take the initiative to hold an extraordinary party convention. 

Meral Akşener, Sinan Oğan, Ümit Özdağ and Koray Aydın are regarded as four prominent candidates for the leadership of the MHP, though it remains unclear who Vural will support in the in-house elections due next month.