Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Tuesday that the fate of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is linked to the fate of Turkey.
“God forbid! The AKP’s downfall would be a disaster for Turkey,” Erdoğan told deputies during the AKP’s group meeting at Parliament.
Warning deputies about the importance of local elections in March 2019, Erdoğan said his party would put candidates in all electoral districts.
Underling that the AKP was established by politicians who were successful in local administrations, Erdoğan said: “We had success in the presidential and parliamentary elections. We need to have better results in the local elections.”
President Erdoğan also warned party members about nepotism in elections, saying, “Nobody should come and propose their relative as a candidate.”
Erdoğan said their door is open to those who have had no relations with the Gülen movement and who are called men of service.