Why did Aksener’s IYI Party vote “yes” to extend the mandate for troops in Iraq and Syria?

On the 26th of October, Turkey’s Parliament went to vote on extending the mandate for troops In Iraq and Syria for the next 2 years.

The main opposition party CHP announced a few hours before the session that the delegates would be against the motion.

“We do not want more refugees and asylum seekers in Turkey, we do not want any Turkish soldiers or police officers to be martyred in Syria. Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s son of Bilal Erdogan is one of the managers of Youth Foundation of Turkey (TUGVA) members say our commander is Erdogan. They can go as soldiers to Syria or Iraq and their chief commander can be Bilal Erdogan” said Kilicdaroglu the chair of CHP.

Deputies of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) with 287 seats, and the AKP’s partner, the right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) with 48 seats, voted in favour of the motion. Meral Aksener chair of the IYI Party that is the opposition to the AKP surprisingly voted in favor.

Many people criticized Meral Aksener on Twitter by tweeting “Aksener Hayir Demeliydi”

According to the interview of HalkTv with Aytun Ciray who consultant of the head of IYI Party, the main reason was to prohibit the PKK activities in North Iraq.

“A core PKK state is forming in the east of the Euphrates. The mandate possesses many articles, it is complicated. In this contrast, there are also operations to be carried out in Iraq. In other words, when you say ‘no’ to this contrast, you will also have said ‘no’ to the operations to be carried out in the north of Iraq” said Ciray.