Akşener Allegedly Blocked Ex-İYİ Party Lawmaker's AKP Move

A political journalist has alleged that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan rejected the potential membership of former İYİ Party lawmaker Ümit Dikbayır to the ruling AKP party due to a specific request from Meral Akşener, the leader of the İYİ Party.

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You know, the final decision on admissions is made by the Beyefendi. All names go before him. He, as we understand it, conducts a comprehensive review and finally says yes or no.

Fatih Altaylı, a prominent journalist, reported that Erdoğan personally vetoed Dikbayır's entry into the AKP. According to Altaylı's sources, Akşener had directly communicated to Erdoğan that he should not allow Dikbayır, and another unspecified individual, to join the AKP if they sought entry. This alleged intervention by Akşener reportedly led to Erdoğan's swift and unquestioned rejection of Dikbayır's application.

This claim aligns with earlier reports from Sinan Burhan, a journalist known for his proximity to the government, who also suggested that Akşener's veto was the reason Dikbayır could not join the AKP. The context for this alleged political maneuvering comes as several other figures, including İzmir Deputy Mustafa Bilici, Aydın Deputy Ömer Karakaş, and Gaziantep Deputy Mehmet Mustafa Gürban, along with seven mayors, recently joined the AKP in a ceremony where Dikbayır was notably absent.

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Meral Akşener gave two names to President Erdoğan; she asked, 'If these people come to your door, do not let them in.'

Altaylı further elaborated that Erdoğan makes the final decisions on party admissions after reviewing all candidates. He stated that Erdoğan did not even debate the issue concerning Dikbayır, simply vetoing the proposal. The identity of the second individual Akşener allegedly mentioned to Erdoğan remains undisclosed in the report.

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He didn't even discuss it, he cut it off.