İYİ Party MP Ümit Özdağ referred to Disciplinary Board

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İYİ Party İstanbul MP Ümit Özdağ was referred to the İYİ Party Disciplinary Board yesterday (October 29).

Özdağ previously accused İYİ Party İstanbul Provincial Chair Buğra Kavuncu of "having links to the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ)", which is held accountable for the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016. In response to these remarks, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation against Buğra Kavuncu.

In a written statement yesterday, İYİ Party Secretary General Uğur Poyraz recalled that "in the light of recent developments, 81 provincial chairs and 108 district chairs from the party requested a disciplinary proceeding against Ümit Özdağ." Accordingly, Secretary Poyraz has announced that Özdağ has been referred to the Disciplinary Board:

"The applications submitted to our General Secretariat were referred to Ms. Party Chair, our Party Chair examined the applications and requests and decided to refer Mr. Ümit Özdağ to the Disciplinary Board."

What happened?

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." (EKN/SD)