Court reverses Özdağ’s expulsion, İYİ Party Chair finds it ‘meaningful’

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İYİ Party Chair Meral Akşener visited the shop owners in Kartal district in İstanbul yesterday (January 14).

Addressing a series of current issues throughout her visit, especially the economic hardships faced by people amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Akşener also talked about a recent court verdict against the party.

The Ankara 1st Civil Court of First Instance cancelled the İYİ Party's decision to expel İstanbul MP Ümit Özdağ from the party.

Addressing the court's reversal of the decision dated November 16, 2020, Meral Akşener sarcastically said, "The judiciary has worked quite fast when it comes to the internal affairs of our party. It is very meaningful!"

Commenting further, Akşener stated, "I hope that this process of giving a judgement will set an example for those occupied with the judiciary."

Referring to Devlet Bahçeli, the Chair of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Akşener said, "Bahçeli previously made a statement that he did not approve long periods of arrest. It seems that the judiciary has approved Bahçeli's attitude. Back then, I also said that I agreed with him. By the way, there are people in our party, especially me, whose statements have not yet been taken despite being prosecuted a long time ago. My trial has been going on for five years, I wish the same for it."

Reminding the reporters that İYİ Party İstanbul Provincial Chair Buğra Kavuncu also made an application about the allegations against himself, Akşener said, "So, the judiciary can apparently work fast. It is an example that the judiciary can be very fast there. We have found it really interesting, we wish that it will also be the case in all trials."

COVID-19 vaccination in Turkey

İYİ Party Chair Meral Akşener also talked about the mass vaccination of people against COVID-19 starting from yesterday.

"People are concerned about the vaccine. The issue of vaccination must be shared with the public in a very open and clear way. The matter of vaccination is very sensitive and the public must be informed about every single stage of the process," said Akşener and added:

"A fellow physician called Mr. Aytun Çıray; according to what the physician said, he was not given an appointment for the vaccination. So, we hear such stories, but what will citizens do? It is the most important of all."

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Concluding her remarks, Meral Akşener also addressed the news that MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli suggested reducing the 10-percent electoral threshold to a "more reasonable" level. Akşener briefly said, "Bahçeli and Erdoğan had just met. They had apparently talked about it. To me, this is again a type of communication through the press.

Referring to the members of the ruling People's Alliance, namely the Patriotic Party Chair Doğu Perinçek, MHP Chair Bahçeli, President and AKP Chair Erdoğan and Great Unity Party (BBP) Chair Mustafa Destici, Akşener noted, "When it comes to the election, they act in unity about every issue. We are not informed about anything within such a system."

About the expulsion of Ümit Özdağ

It was previously reported that ahead of the 2nd Ordinary Congress of the İYİ Party on September 20, a list of members "to not be given votes" had been prepared and the name of İYİ Party İstanbul MP Ümit Özdağ was also allegedly on that list. Speaking to Ahmet Hakan on a live program on CNN Türk shortly afterwards, Ümit Özdağ accused İYİ Party İstanbul Provincial Chair Kavuncu of having affiliations with the FETÖ.

In response to this, 81 provincial chairs of the İYİ Party submitted a petition to the İYİ Party, requesting that Özdağ be expelled from the party. Shortly afterwards, Buğra Kavuncu announced that İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation against him.

On the other side, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Group Deputy Chair Bülen Turan shared a speech of his from a year ago on Twitter and said, "I don't know who is from the FETÖ and who is not in the İYİ Party, but a year ago, we said, 'İYİ Party has been established for an operation, the process of falling apart will begin after the election'."

While Ümit Özdağ denounced AKP's Turan over these remarks, İYİ Party Chair Meral Akşener also commented on the latest developments in her party on October 20. In her speech at the İYİ Party weekly group meeting, Meral Akşener said, "Not what my friends say, but what AKP Group Deputy Chair Bülent Turan said today is important. We have come where we are by waging a struggle for democracy."

Referring to the remarks of AKP's Turan as "meaningful", Akşener added, "We, of course, knew that there would be an attack on our party, because we knew that after the polling companies got results of around 13-15 percent, winter would come as it always does, we will now see what will happen."

İYİ Party İstanbul MP Ümit Özdağ was referred to the İYİ Party Disciplinary Board on October 29, 2020 and expelled from the party in a unanimous vote on November 16. However, the Ankara 1st Civil Court of First Instance reversed this decision. (DŞ/SD)