Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya, who resigned as deputy chair of the AK Party, set out her reasons in a written statement, saying allegations and assessments about her had been raised in connection with a matter that has occupied the public in recent days.
Recalling President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s remark that allegations must be investigated in every aspect, no matter who is involved, she said: “I believe the responsibility we carry in politics is not limited to legal responsibility. The duty we have taken on toward our nation also requires taking political and moral responsibility when necessary.”
“For this reason, I consider it necessary to take political responsibility so that the office I hold does not become the subject of any debate while the allegations about me are being clarified, and so that the examination and investigation can proceed independently and soundly without any shadow over them,” she said.
She said she had asked the party leader to relieve her of all her duties. Sayan Kaya served as family and social policies minister from 2016 to 2018. Her resignation followed claims about her trading in shares of Özata Denizcilik.