Fatih Erbakan responds to Erdoğan's remarks

New Welfare Party leader Fatih Erbakan has responded to the accusations and reactions coming from the entire AKP wing, primarily President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, due to their decision to enter the elections separately. Erbakan stated that they have "seen the ultimate form of blackmail."

New Welfare Party Chairman Fatih Erbakan, whose party closed the doors to an alliance with the AKP in the local elections, made evaluations regarding the upcoming local elections.

"WE ARE NOT A PARTY THAT WILL BE A NOTARY OFFICE"

Speaking to İsmail Saymaz from Sözcü, Erbakan responded to AKP Deputy Chairman Efkan Ala’s remark that "YRP is not in the People's Alliance" by saying, “If they consider us outside the People's Alliance because we call a spade a spade, then let us join their assessment. But when we joined the People's Alliance, we said; ‘We are not a party that will be a notary office.’ We have a memorandum of understanding. We are not a party that has surrendered unconditionally. If they say, ‘We do not consider you in the People's Alliance under these conditions,’ we have nothing to say.”

HE ALSO RESPONDED TO ERDOĞAN

In response to Erdoğan’s remark at the Malatya rally, “We will not allow those who try to walk in our shadow while working to make us lose,” Erbakan said, “We are not using the AKP’s election office or bus. We are not saying, ‘The votes you give us will go to the AKP, we have an agreement with Mr. Tayyip.’ We have fielded our candidates and entered the competition. I cannot understand the meaning of the word shadow.”

Stating that they do not take Erdoğan’s “political blackmail” and “zübük” (opportunist) rhetoric personally, Erbakan emphasized that these elections are a race of service, asking, “Municipalism is the most important field of the National View (Milli Görüş). We have become Turkey’s fastest-growing party. We have reached 500 thousand members. Why should we skip this election?”

“LET THE AKP CANDIDATE WITHDRAW IN URFA”

Responding to criticisms from the AKP wing that “the YRP fielding candidates will cause the CHP’s candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu to win in Istanbul,” Erbakan said, “If we are acting for the homeland, the nation, and survival, then let the AKP candidate withdraw in Urfa. Because in Urfa, we will be causing the DEM Party to win.”

Erbakan, who stated that Efkan Ala’s expression, “The New Welfare Party has no chance of winning. But the CHP’s chance of winning is increasing. It is helping opposition municipalities win,” is a form of “political blackmail,” reacted as follows:

“Isn’t this blackmail against the voter and us? ‘If you vote for this, look, the CHP will come…’ Actually, it is the ultimate form of blackmail. It is not something that can be accepted. The economic crisis, the destruction caused by rent-seeking municipalism, the Gaza issue... AKP candidates have entered into a very serious predicament. İmamoğlu is entering on his own. He is not in any alliance. Then İmamoğlu should also be angry at DEVA, Saadet, and the IYI Party, saying, ‘You are causing the AKP to win.’ This is an illogical approach that has no equivalent in terms of democracy.

Erbakan also responded to the words of Istanbul MP Suat Pamukçu, who resigned from his party, claiming, “There is FETÖ around the chairman. Those who are against the alliance are definitely FETÖ members,” by saying, “May God grant him healing!” Stating that they were also very surprised by the statement in question, Erbakan said, “My brother, have some conscience. Erbakan Hodja’s child, his family, and his party have dedicated 40 years to the fight against FETÖ. Such an allegation against such a line... One can only say, may God grant him healing,” he said.

Stating that “social pressures, various phone calls, and certain insistences are taking place,” Erbakan explained that some AKP voters said, “On the contrary, it was good. We were not satisfied with the municipalities. We were looking for a place to vote.”

News Source: 12punto