Far-right leader Özdağ calls on İYİ’s Akşener to form alliance in local elections

Turkish far-right, anti-immigrant Victory Party leader Ümit Özdağ has called on Meral Akşener, the leader of the İYİ Party which he previously belonged to, to form a nationalist alliance together for the local elections, suggesting dismissing a collaboration with the CHP. In response, an İYİ Party deputy said making Ümit Özdağ one of the founding members of the İYİ Party was "the worst thing we did."

Thursday November 30 2023 09:37 pm

Duvar English

Turkish far-right, anti-immigrant Victory Party (ZP) leader Ümit Özdağ on Nov. 30 called on his previous party, the İYİ (Good) Party, to form an alliance together in the local elections to be held on March 31, 2024.

His announcement came hours before the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel’s visit to İYİ Party leader Meral Akşener.

In a social media post, Özdağ told Meral Akşener to dismiss a possible collaboration with the CHP, whose new leader Özgür Özel “announced that he supports the approach of the (pro-Kurdish) HDP, which advocates federation and division under the name of equal citizenship determined by (jailed PKK leader Abdullah) Öcalan.”

Sayın Akşener, yarın sizi Atatürk çizgisinde Türk milliyetçisi Zafer Partisi’nin ortaya koyduğu, Atatürk’ün belirlediği devletin kuruluş felsefesini savunan protokolü değil, Öcalan’ın belirlediği eşit yurttaşlık adı altında federasyon ve bölünmeyi savunan HDP’nin yaklaşımını…
— Ümit Özdağ (@umitozdag) November 29, 2023

“Before visiting you (today), Özgür Özel accepted the visit of the head of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) head, who supported the conspiracy against the Turkish army by collaborating with FETÖ in Ergenekon case and attacked the Turkish state and nation at every opportunity she found,” he argued.

Özdağ accused Akşener of forming an alliance with the CHP and of the election victory of the ruling People’s Alliance.

“Do not drag sincere Turkish nationalists, Atatürkists and patriots, who have devoted their hearts to the İYİ Party, into an alliance with the HDP. However, do not make them despair against the (ruling) People's Alliance,” Özdağ said and invited Akşener to form a nationalist alliance.

In response, İYİ Party deputy Müsavat Dervişoğlu said making Ümit Özdağ one of the 200 founding members of the İYİ Party was “the worst thing we did.”

Bizim de yaptığımız en kötü iş, parti kurarken senin gibi tutarsız birini 200 kurucudan biri yapmaktı Ümit Özdağ!..

Özdağ'dan İzmir mesajları: Hayatımdaki en kötü iş Akşener'le parti kurmaktı https://t.co/zkq6koESfl
— Müsavat Dervişoğlu (@MDervisogluTR) November 19, 2023

Ümit Özdağ founded the anti-immigrant Victory Party in 2021 after splitting his way with the İYİ Party.