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Mesut Özarslan: 'AK Party Was Never Far From Us'; 'We Are Dignified, Charactered Turkish Children'
🇹🇷 Turkey /Elections & Politics

Mesut Özarslan: 'AK Party Was Never Far From Us'; 'We Are Dignified, Charactered Turkish Children'

From Cumhuriyet · () Turkish

Translated from Turkish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan, who resigned from the CHP in February, joined the AK Party after receiving a party pin from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
  • Özarslan stated his past connections to nationalist and right-wing circles, including founding the İYİ Party, made the AK Party and MHP feel familiar.
  • He criticized CHP leader Özgür Özel for his departure, citing a "shallow message" and asserting his "dignified, charactered Turkish" identity as reasons for leaving.

Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan has officially joined the AK Party, a move formalized by receiving a party pin from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Özarslan, who previously resigned from the Republican People's Party (CHP) in February, explained his transition by highlighting his long-standing ties to the right-wing and nationalist political spectrum in Turkey.

We were raised in the MHP, and the AK Party was never far from us due to many friends and acquaintances within it.

— Mesut ÖzarslanÖzarslan explains his historical ties to the right-wing and nationalist parties in Turkey, justifying his eventual move to the AK Party.

Özarslan detailed his political journey, noting his initial introduction to the CHP was through Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş, a figure who attracted many nationalist and right-wing supporters. His prior roles as a founder and provincial head for the İYİ Party meant he was always closely connected to the right-wing nationalist base. "We were always close to the MHP, where we were raised, and the AK Party, due to many friends and acquaintances within it," Özarslan stated, emphasizing a sense of familiarity with both parties.

The incident 4.5 months ago was entirely born and concluded by Mr. Özgür's own doing.

— Mesut ÖzarslanÖzarslan blames CHP leader Özgür Özel for the events that led to his resignation from the party.

The mayor did not shy away from criticizing his former party's leadership. He directly blamed CHP leader Özgür Özel for the circumstances leading to his departure. "The incident 4.5 months ago was entirely born and concluded by Mr. Özgür's own doing," Özarslan claimed. He described Özel's message as "shallow" and stated that his upbringing and ingrained nationalist and "charactered Turkish" identity made it impossible for him to remain within the CHP following the incident.

Following his shallow message, we, who were born and raised in Sivas; our family structure, our upbringing, and the reflexes of the nationalist and patriotic structure we were raised in, made it impossible for us to stay there any longer.

— Mesut ÖzarslanÖzarslan elaborates on the reasons for his departure from the CHP, citing his background and a specific incident involving Özgür Özel.

Özarslan's move signifies a shift within local politics, particularly in Ankara, and underscores the fluid nature of party affiliations among politicians with nationalist backgrounds in Turkey. His public statements frame his decision as one of principle, rooted in his identity and past political engagements.

We are a dignified, charactered Turkish child.

— Mesut ÖzarslanÖzarslan asserts his strong sense of identity and principles as a reason for his political decisions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Cumhuriyet in Turkish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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