Ex-minister to join opposition party after resigning from ruling AKP

The ruling AKP lawmaker and former Food, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Ahmet Eşref Fakıbaba has announced that he resigned from the party and deputyship. Fakıbaba later announced that he will join the opposition İYİ (Good) Party as a mere member.

Thursday October 20 2022 06:29 pm

This file photo shows Fakıbaba (L), and President and AKP leader Erdoğan (R)

Duvar English

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmaker Ahmet Eşref Fakıbaba on Oct. 20 announced that he resigned from the party and deputyship. Fakıbaba was Food, Agriculture and Livestock Minister from the AKP between 2017 and 2018.

Announcing his resignation on his Twitter account, Fakıbaba said “I had the opportunity to work in different positions in the AKP. I sincerely thank all my elders and the people of Şanlıurfa province who gave me this opportunity.”

“In these 20 years, I have made many dear friends. I'm sorry to leave them. However, I am happy that I will no longer be with some people who do not conform to my political and moral understanding. I am also resigning from the deputyship so that there is no disrespect to my fellow citizens who voted for me under the AKP,” he added.

AK Parti Üyeliği ve Milletvekilliğinden istifamla ilgili açıklamamı Milletime saygılarımla arz ediyorum. pic.twitter.com/k7bXswRZeT
— Dr. Ahmet Eşref FAKIBABA (@aefakibaba) October 20, 2022

Fakıbaba was elected as the southeastern province of Urfa Mayor in 2004 from the AKP. In the local elections held in March 2009, the AKP did not nominate Fakıbaba. Fakıbaba then resigned from the party and entered the election as an independent candidate, receiving 44 percent of the votes and was re-elected as the Mayor of Urfa.

Fakıbaba, who joined the Felicity (Saadet) Party in this process, returned to the AKP in 2013.

Fakıbaba was recently criticizing some policies of AKP and Urfa municipality run by the AKP. on Twitter.

After the announcement of his resignation, Fakıbaba confirmed that he will join the opposition right-wing İYİ (Good) Party as a mere member.

Fakıbaba told the daily Sözcü that he was considering retiring from politics, but his meetings with the İYİ Party leader Meral Akşener changed his mind.

“Akşener said to me ‘Fakıbaba, we need you, Urfa, the region and the country need you.’ So she has a great vision of a leader and I thanked him. She discovered me. She's an amazing person. Let's see a female leader,” he expressed.

Topics AKP resignation Ahmet Eşref Fakıbaba