Message of change from Fatih Erbakan

New Welfare Party (Yeniden Refah Partisi) Chairman Fatih Erbakan attended his party's 3rd Ordinary Provincial Congress of Elazığ, held at the Elazığ July 15 Indoor Sports Hall.

In addition to Erbakan, the congress was attended by deputy chairmen Prof. Dr. Sacit Günbey and Nurettin Gül, Provincial Chairman Lawyer Erhun Karakuş, Palu Mayor Muhammet Septioğlu, Alacakaya Mayor Zafer Altınışık, and Akçakiraz Mayor İbrahim Ormanoğlu.

'THE NATION NOW WANTS CHANGE'

The highlights of the speech delivered by Fatih Erbakan here are as follows:

“The nation is tired and fed up. They are tired and fed up with injustice and rent-seekers. They say, 'There must be a change now.' Well, when asked what we will bring in place of the current situation when this change is made; they say, 'The National View (Milli Görüş) must come' in place of the current one when change happens. Because they remember the services of our teacher Erbakan. They remember the epics that the National View has written both in governments and in municipalities, and they say, 'We must bring the National View in place of this current one.' They say, 'Which party shall we run to for the National View to come? We will run to the New Welfare Party,' and they are gathering at the New Welfare Party. Thank God. We will hopefully be worthy of this trust and this favor of our nation. As soon as possible, 640 thousand will not be enough; we will reach the target of 1 million members, the target of 1 million 640 thousand members, and we will bring the New Welfare Party to power. We will make this noble nation smile again with the National View, again with prosperity, God willing.

"ELAZIĞ GAVE THE AK PARTY THE SUPPORT IT DID NOT GIVE TO ANY OTHER PARTY"

It kept it in power alone for 23 years. Elazığ gave the AK Party government the support it did not give to any other party. Despite all kinds of difficulties, the people of Elazığ waited in a self-sacrificing and patient manner.

Well, what happened to poverty, corruption, and bans at the end of these 23 years? What happened to the tea and bagel calculation? I want to make some observations regarding this; our first item was poverty, right? How much is the minimum wage today? 22 thousand 100 liras. The lowest pension is 14 thousand 460 liras. Well, where has the hunger threshold reached? It has reached 23 thousand liras. Where has the poverty line reached? It has approached 80 thousand liras. For a family of four to meet their own needs, they must have an income of at least 80 thousand liras per month.

"YOU MUST HAVE AN INCOME OF 100 THOUSAND LIRAS PER MONTH SO THAT YOU ARE NOT CONSIDERED POOR"

Well, what if you follow the President's advice and have 3 children? Then you must have an income of 100 thousand liras per month so that you are not considered poor. With these figures, with these realities, 45 percent of the public today has a salary below the hunger threshold, has an income below the hunger threshold. 80 percent of the public has an income below the poverty line. 80 percent are poor. Along with this, another important indicator of poverty is the citizens' debts to banks. It has gone from 6 billion liras to 4.2 trillion liras during the AK Party government period. The public's indebtedness has increased 700-fold.

Why are they borrowing? Because their income level is not sufficient. Because they are poor, they are struggling to survive with credit cards and bank loans. The farmers' debts have risen from 2.5 billion liras to over 1 trillion liras. Now, these days, in Elazığ and its surroundings, in Baskil, in Elazığ, unfortunately, frost has hit the products and crops. After conveying our best wishes to all our farmers, we do not neglect to call on the authorities and the government, saying that you must provide a subsidy and support to these farmers, whom you have already buried in debt up to their necks, due to this frost incident.”