AK Party to leave Yavaş affair in the hands of the law

The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) said that the party will not take sides in forgery allegations against the Republican People's Party's (CHP) Ankara Metropolitan Municipality candidate, Mansur Yavaş, as the issue "is a matter of the law."

"There is a judicial decree on Yavaş, which was ratified by the Supreme Court in 2016. The AK Party does not have such an issue with ‘Mansur Yavaş.' It is the problem of the CHP, its leader [Kemal] Kılıçdaroğlu and supporters of his candidacy in the Nation Alliance," AK Party spokesman Ömer Çelik said yesterday at a press conference.

On Monday, the AK Party called on the CHP to address recent forgery allegations directed at Yavaş. According to a report in the Turkish daily, Sabah, Yavaş was sued for attempting to collect a $600,000 check, which he received as a trustee. It was also claimed that if Yavaş is convicted, he will not be able to serve as mayor.

However, Yavaş denied the accusations on Thursday in a press briefing. "I am the real victim. There has been neither a penal verdict nor criminal proceeding brought against me," he said.

Yavaş also stressed that he is the first mayor to disclose his personal assets to the public in line with the transparency principle, adding that the claims are only speculations. Çelik said that the AK Party brought up the allegations on Yavaş because of the CHP leader, administration and Yavaş "insistently refraining" from answering the claims.

"The parties should field clean candidates. The electorate in Ankara deserves this, just like other people in Turkey," he said.