Özdağ says was promised three ministries by Kılıçdaroğlu if latter assumed power

Far-right anti-immigrant Victory Party leader Ümit Özdağ has announced his party was promised to have three ministries, including the interior, and the National Intelligence Agency (MİT) if CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu assumed power in exchange for the former’s support for the latter in the second round of the presidential election. “We have a written agreement,” Özdağ said.

Monday July 17 2023 01:59 pm

ZP leader Özdağ (R) announcing support for CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu (L) for the second round of the presidential race on May 24.

Duvar English

Turkish far-right Victory Party (ZP) leader Ümit Özdağ, known for his anti-immigrant stance, on July 17 announced that his party were promised to have three ministries and the National Intelligence Agency (MİT) if Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu assumed power in the second round of the presidential election.

In an interview with Cansu Çamlıbel from the online news outlet T24, Özdağ said “If Kılıçdaroğlu had been elected, I would have been the interior minister.”

“No promises, we have a written agreement. We agreed with Mr. Kemal on three ministries including the Interior Minister and the National Intelligence Agency,” he added.

“Since Mr. Kemal knew that his partners at the Table of Six, which did not benefit in the least, would react to this agreement, so he asked me to not mention it too much. I confirmed that too,” Özdağ added.

After the first round of the presidential election, Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader and main opposition bloc’s candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Victory Party leader Ümit Özdağ signed a protocol, focusing on returning refugees back to Syria.

Kılıçdaroğlu lost the presidential election against Recep Tayyip Erdoğan by receiving 47.82 percent of the votes in the second round of the race on May 28.

If Kılıçdaroğlu assumed power, his five other partners in the Table of Six would have been appointed as vice presidents and their parties were promised to have at least one ministries as well.