Turkey's Islamist YRP rules out any future alliances with ruling AKP

Fatih Erbakan, leader of Turkey's far-right Islamist New Welfare Party, has criticized its former ally, the ruling AKP, for nepotism, broken agreements, and policy failures. He ruled out any future alliances with the party.

Thursday November 28 2024 05:58 pm

Gazete Duvar

Fatih Erbakan, leader of Turkey’s Islamist New Welfare Party (YRP), held a media event to mark the party's sixth anniversary. Erbakan presented an overview of the party’s growth, electoral performance, and future goals.

According to Erbakan, the party’s membership reached 600,000 in six years. He highlighted that the party gained 2.5 percent of the vote in the 2023 general elections and approximately 7 percent in the 2024 local elections, this time without being a part of any alliances.

He stated that the party emerged as Turkey’s third-largest political force in local elections, achieving this without treasury funding or media support. Erbakan thanked party organizations and voters for their contributions.

Erbakan criticized its former ally the ruling Justice and Development (AKP), accusing it of nepotism and abandoning its founding principles. “They have reached the peak of nepotism,” he said.

He argued that while the AKP dismantled military tutelage, it replaced it with a new “Beştepe tutelage,” referring to the presidential palace. He also criticized the party’s failure to eliminate poverty, corruption, and restrictions, stating, “20 million people are receiving social aid, and political opposition is being suppressed.”

Erbakan expressed his support for a strengthened parliamentary system instead of Turkey’s current presidential system, advocating for a “democratized presidential system.”

Commenting on the government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli’s suggestion for talks with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan, Erbakan dismissed the idea as “shallow” and inappropriate.

Instead, he called for dialogue with regional leaders and political parties to address local demands such as increasing municipal powers and allowing the use of native languages without compromising Turkey’s territorial integrity. “Negotiating with Öcalan or the PKK is not acceptable,” he said.

When asked about his party’s past support for President Erdoğan in the general elections, Erbakan criticized the partnership, saying the AKP had not honored the terms of their agreement.

“Unfortunately, it was merely an election strategy, and they were insincere. Not only did they fail to fulfill the agreement, but they acted against it. This was the last chance we gave them, and they rejected it. We are no longer responsible for that.” He ruled out any future alliances with the AKP or the People’s Alliance, adding that his party would run independently in the next elections.

Erbakan also discussed the possibility of collaboration with the Felicity Party (SP) following changes in its leadership. He acknowledged shared views on key issues and suggested that cooperation could serve national interests. “We have no reservations about working with them, as we’ve stated before. This marks the beginning of a new period,” Erbakan said.