“Metropolitan Municipalities were won with an allied force”

“Metropolitan Municipalities were won with an allied force”
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Good Party Chair Meral Aksener said she would “rip apart” anybody who said she needed permission to join an event to support Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu

A spat between the opposition leaders in Turkey on intervening inner party politics appeared to rift open as Good Party leader Meral Aksener responded to CHP Chairperson Kemal Kilicdaroglu saying the mayors of metropolitan municipalities were chosen with an allied force including her party.

Aksener said that “even though she was upset, she put aside Kilicdaroglu’s words” which implied that she interfered in CHP inner politics, by playing a central role in a meeting to support Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu right after his conviction while Kilicdaroglu was away in Germany. Kilicdaroglu earlier said Aksener did not inform him of organizing such an event.

"I did call Mr. Kilicdaroglu. We have each other’s numbers, I called. His phone was off. I forgot about Germany, I thought he was on the plane. Then it turned out that his phone was switched off,” Aksener said, emphasizing that her call did not mean “she needed any permission from anyone to organize a meeting.”

“I don't have to get permission from anyone, I'll rip apart anyone who says so. Because these mayors are elected by the alliance of the two parties. Except for one Mersin, all the others are mayors elected by CHP and IYI Party organizations. I don't need permission. I have seen so much disrespect during this time. So it was such a shame,” she said.

The debate surrounds a political atmosphere in Turkey where six opposition parties who form the Nation Alliance in Turkey are yet to designate a candidate in next year’s presidential elections against President Tayyip Erdogan.

Aksener earlier announced openly that she preferred one of the mayors of Ankara or Istanbul to be nominated as a candidate, while some senior figures in the CHP say they want Kilicdaroglu to run against Erdogan.

Several senior figures from the Good Party expressed concerns over Kilicdaroglu's ability to attract conservative voters.