CHP and İYİ Party leaders Kılıçdaroğlu and Akşener have held a joint statement for the press. Drawing a parallel between Erdoğan and 1980 coup leader Kenan Evren, Akşener said, “We are faced with an Erdoğan who has carried Evren a league further.”

Speaking on behalf of the Nation Alliance in response to President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's recent remarks on local elections, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and İYİ Party Chairperson Meral Akşener held a joint statement for the press today.

 

Taking the floor after CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, İYİ Party Chair Akşener has drawn a parallel between President Erdoğan and Kenan Evren, the leading figure of the September 12, 1980 military coup: "In his current state, I think Erdoğan resembles Kenan Evren."

 

Speaking further, Akşener has made the following remarks:

 

"As we all remember, after the first elections held in post-1980 coup period, everyone was asking themselves what Evren would do and whether he would accept the elections results. Turgut Özal, who appeared before President Kenan Evren after being elected the Prime Minister of Turkey, where such concerns were being discussed, was informed about the election results by Supreme Election Council. We are talking about an Evren who extended his respect to him. Erdoğan finds 14 the thousand vote difference between his party and CHP insufficient to win an election. We are faced with an Erdoğan, who has carried Evren a league further. Addressing the Supreme Election Council (YSK), Akşener also stated, "You are not the office of an Electoral Coordination Center, you are a supreme legal institution controlling the election safety and it is understood that there will be new elections until you win İstanbul. Concluding her remarks, Akşener also underlined the importance of "immediate normalization of Turkey."