As former Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Deputy Meral Akşener accelerates her efforts to found a new political party, Deputy Prime Minister Recep Akdağ said Akşener's party will take its place in the political graveyard.
"In this country, many parties aiming at social engineering have been founded. All of them took their place in the political parties' graveyard," Akdağ said in an interview to Sabah on Aug. 21.
Turkish politics has oft witnessed the forming of new political parties that failed to attract supporters and leave a mark on politics. The failures of newly formed parties are numerous. For instance, Emine Ülker Tarhan founded a new party named the "Anatolia Party" in 2014 after she resigned from the Republican People's Party (CHP). Tarhan's discourse was to "raise Turkey to its feet with the Anatolia Party." However, the party only survived a year.
Another example is former Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Şener, a former Justice and Development Party (AK Party) politician, who announced the establishment of a political party in 2009 called Türkiye Partisi (the Turkey Party). Şener closed his party shortly after its founding in 2012 due to its failure to establish its political goals.
An additional example is former Foreign Minister İsmail Cem, who resigned from the Democratic Left Party (DSP) in 2002 and formed the New Turkey Party (YTP), which was closed after failure in the elections.
Pointing out the sheer number of fleeting parties, Akdağ contended that Akşener's party will not attract votes, saying "the plan to design society using certain parties does not resonate in this country."
Akdağ also claimed that Akşener's new party is connected with the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ). Akdağ said, "We know the interest and support of some writers from the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) to Akşener. The end of her party will be no different than the others."
Akşener was expelled from the MHP for her alleged ties to FETÖ. Bahçeli claimed in December 2015 that FETÖ used one of the party's candidates as a "political tool." The MHP chairman said, "There is a candidate from the Gülen movement who joined the MHP as a political figure." Even though Bahçeli did not name this "political tool," Akşener's lawyer, Nuri Polat, is one of 30 suspects who were arrested earlier in April for alleged links to the terror group.
Amid criticism directed at her new party, Akşener is continuing her efforts to form a party. She recently announced she is trying to complete preparations by the middle of October. "We are working on announcing the new party by late October," Akşener said on Aug. 20.
On social media it was claimed that the building for Akşener's party headquarters has been determined. An empty building in Çankaya is reportedly being rented for the new party. Formerly, it was claimed that people gathering around Akşener were selling their properties to contribute financially to the party. Reportedly Akşener's party will be called the Nationalist Turkey Party (MTP) and according to Akşener's team, the main objective is to form a new centrist party that can survive the current political climate.
