AK Party Istanbul Deputy Serkan Bayram Apologized for His Statements

AK Party Istanbul Deputy Serkan Bayram made the following statements in his statement:

"I see that the statements I have made recently have been exploited by some circles and that they have caused justified discomfort, especially in the AK Party community, of which I am honored to be a member.

While trying to express my concerns about some events that our country has been experiencing recently; I observe that some of the expressions I used exceeded their intended purpose, were distorted, and created an image that puts the corporate identity of our party, our colleagues in the cause, and members of the organization who have served with great sacrifice for years, under suspicion.

I never wanted to criticize or use language that could incriminate the people we walked with.

As a member of parliament who has served the same cause for 25 years under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, I should have expressed my thoughts within the internal party mechanisms and in the style required by political responsibility. I would like to ask all my colleagues, especially our President, our organizations and millions of citizens who have devoted themselves to the AK Party to forgive me for my statements that exceed their purpose. An apology that not everyone can make is also a sign of maturity.

It would not be appropriate for me to make definitive assessments, especially about ongoing legal processes, individuals and institutions. The basic principle of law is clear: It is the duty of the independent judiciary to investigate the allegations, evaluate the evidence and make a verdict.

Moreover, our President has already taken the necessary steps regarding the funding process; He appointed the State Supervisory Board and established a fully authorized coordination board under the chairmanship of our Vice President. Relevant boards took action and the review and audit process began. I should have emphasized these steps in my evaluations.

The AK Party has taken the will of our nation as a basis in its political struggle that has lasted a quarter of a century; It is a great political movement that has fought against tutelage, corruption, lawlessness and mentalities that take over the resources of the nation. I am sorry for having said words that could cause this entire great community to become controversial based on some allegations.

I have always seen the rights of our disabled brothers and sisters as the responsibility of the life I live. This sensitivity may have hardened my words; However, my intention has never been to target individuals or our community. I will continue to work to ensure that every step taken by our President and our AK Party in protecting the rights of our disabled people reaches their rightful owners.

I respectfully present it to the appreciation of our nation and the public."