'Erdoğan tasked Murat Kurum to bring that name back': Meeting held with YRP figure

It has been alleged that AKP Chairman and President Erdoğan tasked Minister Murat Kurum with facilitating Gülpınar's return to the party. It was learned that Kasım Gülpınar discussed a 'return' with Minister Kurum.

TGRT Haber Ankara Representative Fatih Atik, who spoke with both AKP officials and New Welfare Party Mayor Kasım Gülpınar regarding the matter, shared the information he obtained during a live broadcast.

According to the report by TGRT Haber Ankara Representative Fatih Atik, this voter permeability between the New Welfare Party and the AKP will continue. Atik stated that President Erdoğan wants Şanlıurfa Mayor Kasım Gülpınar to return to the AKP. Atik also explained that Erdoğan tasked Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum for this purpose. Stating that Kasım Gülpınar met with Minister Kurum but that the talks yielded negative results, Atik also evaluated what might happen in the coming period.

IS HE RETURNING TO THE AKP?

Atik shared the following information: "The AK Party is still a party that dominates politics, it is the ruling party. If mayors and deputies are still choosing to join here, this could mean that the AK Party still maintains its power. We will see this in the coming process. This voter permeability between the New Welfare Party and the AK Party will continue. New Welfare had seen 6 percent in the local elections. Will its performance continue in the same way from now on, will its performance continue in the same way... Will the continuation of the mayors it took from the AK Party come, will there be new transitions..."

MURAT KURUM WAS TASKED

"Especially Kasım Gülpınar... Let me say... The President tasked Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum for the transition of Şanlıurfa Mayor Kasım Gülpınar to the AK Party, for his return. Murat Kurum went and met with Kasım Gülpınar in Şanlıurfa. He conveyed the President's greetings to see him in the party... But he could not be convincing. I spoke with both Kasım Gülpınar and Ministry officials. The meeting is true. But Mr. Kasım says that at this stage, the people of Şanlıurfa will decide."

"(Is it leaving the door ajar?) It can be thought of in two ways. It depends on how you look at it. The public might say, 'We did not vote for the AK Party on purpose.' Kasım Gülpınar had already become a candidate by objecting to the AK Party's candidate Zeynel Abidin Beyazgül, saying, 'If he is the candidate from the AK Party, he will lose.' The AK Party campaigned and he won despite that. But this does not mean he will not come back to the AK Party."

"He expresses his respect and affection for both the Minister of Environment and the President. Balances in politics can change. How will he ask the people of Şanlıurfa? Will he conduct a survey? If he wants to switch, he can. My opinion is that he does not look very warmly upon it. If Kasım Gülpınar is going to have a meeting to switch to the AK Party, he will have this meeting directly with President Erdoğan. He will want to meet with President Erdoğan. If a face-to-face meeting can take place, it might happen."

AKP ORGANIZATION AGAINST GÜLPINAR

"Currently, the AK Party's Şanlıurfa organization and deputies are against Kasım Gülpınar. When Murat Kurum held a meeting in Şanlıurfa recently, they did not seat Kasım Gülpınar in the protocol. Who didn't seat him? The current AK Party deputies didn't. Their relationship with Kasım Gülpınar is strained. But this is politics, other developments will happen tomorrow. Communications will warm up, a warmer dialogue will be entered into... But for now, my impression is that Mr. Kasım has no intention of switching to any AK Party."