Kemal Saraçoğlu, the Nationalist Movement Party's (MHP) candidate for mayor in the Şanlıurfa province in the March 30 local elections has announced that he has joined the AK Party, a month after the resignation of Tuğrul Türkeş, who is the son of MHP's founder Alparslan Türkeş. 150 other local members have also recently announced their resignation and transferred to the AK Party, prior to the November 1 general elections.

According to reports, former labor minister and AK Party's Şanlıurfa deputy Faruk Çelik had visited Saraçoğlu and congratulated him during his visit to Şanlıurfa.

Meanwhile, 150 MHP members also resigned from their party on October 20 to join the AK Party in Darıca Municipal Council. The members were welcomed by the AK Party and AK Party's Kocaeli Provincial head Şemsettin Ceyhun thanked them for their 'courage' to step down from the MHP.

Tuğrul Türkeş, recognized as one of the most influential figures within the MHP had announced his resignation from the MHP following the party's central disciplinary committee's decision to expel him for accepting to participate in the caretaker cabinet.

Türkeş was the first deputy to accept Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu's invitation to take part in the caretaker cabinet and was given the deputy prime minister's post in the run-up to the Nov. 1 election.