Will the YRP support Murat Kurum in Istanbul? Here are the possibilities...
Alliance negotiations between the AKP and the New Welfare Party (YRP) have stalled. Most recently, YRP Vice Chairman Mehmet Altınöz responded to claims that the AKP had offered them municipal council memberships by saying, "We are winning council seats with our own strength. Why would we say yes to this?" Meanwhile, the YRP's announcement of its candidates for Şanlıurfa and Elazığ has affected the balance of power in the region.
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It has been claimed that the New Welfare Party (Yeniden Refah Partisi) will not field candidates in the Istanbul elections and will support Murat Kurum following the AKP's offer of municipal council memberships and district mayoralties in a few locations.
According to a report by the Cumhuriyet newspaper, delegations from the YRP and the AKP met again the day before yesterday following the crisis. It was stated that during the meeting, "the YRP decided not to field candidates in Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir and to support the People's Alliance (Cumhur İttifakı) candidates."
However, YRP Deputy Chairman Mehmet Altınöz, speaking to İsmail Saymaz, had used the expressions, "We are winning council seats with our own strength. Why would we say yes to this?"
THE BALANCE OF POWER IN THE REGION HAS CHANGED
Most recently, New Welfare Party Chairman Fatih Erbakan announced 23rd and 24th Term Elazığ Deputy Faruk Septioğlu as the Elazığ mayoral candidate, and Presidential Advisor, AKP MKYK member, and 24th-25th-26th-27th Term AKP Şanlıurfa Deputy Kasım Gülpınar as the Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality mayoral candidate.
While it is claimed that this decision strengthens the YRP's hand in the West, it has also complicated the alliance negotiations.