The experience of local democracy was a very important value that gave dynamism to Turkish democracy. This is intended to be eliminated. The aim of the AKP government is to erase the idea in society that "the ballot box is important, my vote is valuable". To turn Türkiye into a country where elections are for show.
AKP members have neither enthusiasm, principles nor values. Their only concern is power. Those who show the robbery are silenced by political instructions, and if political protection for the robbery is clearly visible, the responsibility lies with the government. AKP itself has become a pyramid scheme. This chain is now breaking everywhere.
New Party General Secretary Yunus Emre answered Cumhuriyet's questions.
- What happened to Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay, who gave the biggest support at the congress where the change took place in the CHP, switched to AKP?
He passed away because he was an unprincipled person and pursued his personal interests. There is no rational or political explanation for its passing. However, the issue should be discussed on a broader basis than Cemil Tugay's person. Today, local democracy is being gradually eliminated in Turkey. Municipalities are established to meet common local needs and their administrations are directly elected by the people. Democracy starts from the local, municipalities. After the 2019 elections, the municipalities won by DEM were taken away from them, and this term, the mayors in the municipalities we won are being dismissed, thrown into prison, replaced by trustees, or transferred by threats and blackmail. As a result, the backbone of local democracy, one of the most basic elements of democracy, is being broken.
- 36 mayors switched to AKP...
It seems that most of these are caused by threats. Lawsuits are filed against them, when they leave the party, new cases do not come, and when they join the AKP, the cases against them are removed. I don't know where Cemil Tugay was caught, but obviously Tugay does not change parties by adopting the AKP's program and political values. There is something behind it that we don't know about.
'I UNDERSTAND THE CRITICISM'
- After so many mayors have passed, is there any self-criticism within the party about where mistakes were made regarding the candidate selection processes?
I am aware of the importance of this question for voters. I understand the criticism. Look at the profiles of the people passing by, there are people who have worked in the women's and youth branches of the party, served as district presidents and members of parliament, and have been members of the party for 40 years.
- Burcu Köksal was the Deputy Chairman of the Group, Özlem Çerçioğlu was a deputy for 3 terms and mayor for 3 terms. Why did these people pass today and not before?
Today the course has changed. People are now being told, "Local democracy is over. You either come to AKP or you go to prison." That much is clear. Those who remain continue knowing this risk and taking it. Those who cannot afford it switch to AKP. In this way, they serve the AKP to destroy local democracy.
- How will Izmir's transition to AKP affect the political landscape?
Izmir is the symbol of the vision put forward by Atatürk in the founding of the republic. It is the symbol of resistance against AKP's unlawfulness. Izmir said "no" in all referendums held by the AKP, and never gave the AKP a majority in the municipality in the elections. Today, the reaction of the people of Izmir is great. This incident is not just our issue as the New Party. This means, "I will throw away local democracy and make the people's choice meaningless by using pressure, coercion and the judiciary."
- Why is AKP doing this for a short period of one/one and a half years?
The AKP government declared war against everything that created democracy in Turkey. There has been a systematic decline in democracy, the rule of law and human rights for years. What have we seen recently? Thousands of people's social media accounts are blocked, journalists are imprisoned, and professional organizations are rendered dysfunctional. The point here, too, is not just taking Izmir, but also removing the municipalities from being an effective and important point of democracy in Turkey's administration. The aim of the AKP government is to erase the idea in society that "the ballot box is important, my vote is valuable". This goal is at the center of the event. They want to turn Turkey into a country where elections are for show. The experience of local democracy was a very important value that gave dynamism to Turkish democracy. This is intended to be eliminated.
- Participation in elections in Turkey is high compared to most countries in Europe. If your stated goal is achieved, will citizens stay away from the ballot box or will there be the opposite effect?
This is aimed, but the targets are not always achieved. They thought our struggle would end with absolute futility, but we built a new party together with hundreds of thousands of people. The biggest need of authoritarian governments is that people lose interest in political events and the principle that those who govern the country can change through the ballot box disappears. They want the citizens to think, "No matter what is done, it doesn't work, Erdogan wins anyway, what happens if we go to the polls" and Erdogan wins the next election.
- Mansur Yavaş resigned from CHP and announced that he would remain independent. Why didn't he come to the New Party?
You will appreciate that the answer lies in itself.
- Özgür Bey said that the mayors would join the party later. As the New Party, you have made a consultation regarding Yavaş's absence...
We did not establish this party out of pleasure. It was the nullity decision that made the establishment of the party mandatory. Erdoğan and the AKP said, "These will be the leaders of the CHP" and the judiciary appointed the management of Turkey's oldest party. The political translation of this is that CHP is no longer a real opposition party. If there is no real opposition in a country, there is no possibility of changing the government in that country through elections. We founded this party by saying "Türkiye should have a real opposition party." Citizens also asked us for this. The real opposition is the New Party, its leader is Özgür Özel. We are not fighting for a personal career, we are fighting for democracy.
- Yavaş is a strong name, was this a disappointment for the New Party?
Mansur Bey received 60 percent of the votes in Ankara. We are proud of this too. We are together with this mass of voters every day and they know the answer to this question very well: I wonder how many of the voters who voted for Mansur Bey find the decision of absolute nullity correct and how many of them consider it correct that Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is the chairman of the CHP. Mr. Mansur and all our other friends know the answers to these questions. The issue is beyond being an Özgür Özel or New Party issue. Will there be a real opposition in Turkey or a fake opposition under the guidance of the government? The fight is this fight. We listened to our voters when we set out on this path, everyone should make this evaluation for themselves.
'THEY SHOULD NOT FORGET THE MILLIONS IN SARAÇHANE'
- Are we coming to Istanbul step by step? What is your prediction, do you have an action plan?
It is clear that there is a plan for Istanbul. We also have a plan, but it is not appropriate to announce it today. But I can say this much. Istanbul has been the most important scene of the fight for democracy since the 2017 referendum. He always stood for democracy. They should not forget the slogans of "Give me the certificate of election" in the stands in 2019 and the 800 thousand difference in the unlawfully canceled elections. They should not forget the millions who gathered in Saraçhane and the students of Istanbul University who broke down the barricades. Today, Istanbul is the capital of the fight for democracy and the symbol of our justified resistance. We have discussed the plans they made at the table with our citizens of Istanbul many times. We'll do it again.
'ERDOĞAN CANNOT BE A CANDIDATE'
- MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli called for an "early election" decision in the Parliament for 2028. What will be the attitude of the New Party?
They did not accept our chairman's early election offer or midterm election proposal on time. Now they say, "Let's hold the elections 1.5 years later, but let's make the decision now." This means "Erdogan cannot be a candidate according to the constitution, help us so that he can be a candidate." We are a movement that has resisted Erdoğan's oppression from the beginning, and we will not be part of an event that will make Erdoğan a candidate again. What audacity, where does this audacity come from... All the fairy tales told are to get Erdoğan elected again. We are not the addressee of Bahçeli's call, and I do not think it will find a response in other parties. This is not our issue, the election is held on time and Erdoğan cannot be a candidate.
- In the last election, there was a saying "We will defeat Erdoğan at the ballot box". Could we reach such a point again?
The biggest guarantee that the presidential system does not turn into an open dictatorship is that it has a term limit. Erdoğan has already served three terms as president, there is no need to push for a fourth, that's enough. "Once again, once again" means "there is no democracy, it's over".
- Transfers, prison processes, insistence on the presidency for the fourth time... what is the end of this?
This is about anti-democratic mentality. It's about thinking that power belongs to one person, not sharing power, and being far from democracy in terms of ideas. AKP does not care about elections, democracy or legitimacy, all they care about is staying in power. In order not to lose power, they do whatever is necessary to provide support from whomever they need, including foreign powers.
'BAHÇELİ SAYS UNRETURNED SUPPORT IS OVER'
- What did you understand from Bahçeli's words "Erdoğan in the executive branch, MHP in the legislature"?
He expresses his wishes. The People's Alliance has the majority in the Parliament, but the AKP uses its resources. The chairmen of all commissions are AKP members, and there are AKP members in all influential positions. MHP supports AKP without receiving anything in return. Bahçeli's words mean that this needs to change. But they are dreaming, they can oppose together because they will lose the upcoming elections.
- In an environment where the names of AKP deputy chairmen and former AKP members are mentioned in the fund scam, and even AKP MP Serkan Bayram says "If the Chief closes the party, he will get more votes", is Bahçeli also distancing himself from the AKP with this statement?
Lord Acton said, "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." AKP members have neither enthusiasm, principles nor values. Their only concern is to stay in power and benefit from the privileges of power. Let's look at Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya; It is obvious that someone told him, "You get into this stock" and then "You get out of here." Those who made this recommendation also made Sayan Kaya a partner in this crime, because they need political protection. Former MASAK Vice President Ramazan Başak, with whom you interviewed, was detained twice because he warned about the issue, and the accounts of those who shared funds were closed. These are done for a purpose. If those who show the robbery are silenced by political instructions and the need for political protection for the robbery is clearly seen, who is responsible? This is all about power. AKP itself has become a pyramid scheme. This chain is now breaking everywhere.
- Is there a power struggle within the AKP behind the funding crisis?
The funding crisis shows that there is a power struggle within the AKP. Because there is dirty money involved here. Our Chairman told the group: dirty money is laundered through the stock market. The question "Whose dirty money is this?" must be answered. Why didn't the CMB and state institutions do their duties? The president directly appoints the heads of these institutions, and the company managements are people close to the AKP and the Palace. It is inevitable that a process in which AKP members are so involved and responsible will bring to light conflicts within the ruling bloc.
- Ali Emre Ballı, the partner of AKP Deputy Chairman Hayati Yazıcı's son, ended his life. What is your comment? Do you find it suspicious?
Chekhov says, "If there is a gun on the stage, it will explode." Unfortunately, if there is so much organized crime and dirty money, suicide, murder, everything can happen.
PORTRAIT
He was born in Izmit in 1982. He graduated from Istanbul Kültür University, Department of International Relations and Economics. He completed his master's and doctorate degrees at Boğaziçi University. He taught as an associate professor of political science at Istanbul Kültür University. After serving as the President of Bakırköy District and Istanbul Provincial Youth Branches, he served as the General President of CHP Youth Branches. He was elected as a member of the Party Assembly at the 36th CHP Congress and then became the Deputy Chairman. He was elected as Istanbul Deputy in the 27th and 28th terms. Emre, who became a member of the New Party Founders' Board on July 24, 2026, serves as the general secretary of the party.
