Fatih Erbakan announces his candidacy, saying 'It is very difficult for the AK Party to find it': We see a rupture

Fatih Erbakan made assessments regarding the current agenda during a program he attended on Sözcü TV. Announcing that he would be a candidate for the presidency, Erbakan criticized the government's economic and justice policies.

Responding to the question of whether he would be a candidate for the presidency, Erbakan recalled that they had previously withdrawn their candidacy in favor of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, stating, "We withdrew once in favor of the President. It would not be politically or logically appropriate for us to withdraw our candidacy in favor of another name in another election. We must be a candidate. As the New Welfare Party, we will field a presidential candidate, and that will be me as the chairman."

Touching upon his party's projects, Fatih Erbakan said, "We have hundreds of welfare projects for our 81 provinces. We have a 'Developing Turkey' vision. Our R&D Department has prepared a 9,000-page study. We have our National Resource Packages. We want to implement these. It is quite normal for us to aspire to govern the state."

"We see it reflected as a loss of votes"

Arguing that the government is losing votes and stating that they have encountered serious reactions in the field, Erbakan said, "We see a rupture in the AK Party. There is a great reaction in Anatolia due to economic difficulties, justice, and double standards. We see this reflected as a loss of votes. Today, it is being debated whether the MHP will pass the threshold. If we say 30 for the AK Party and 5 for the MHP, that makes 35. It is very difficult for them to find 50 plus one, or even 40 plus one."

"It is something unseen in the world"

Continuing his criticisms regarding the economic picture, Erbakan drew attention to the debt burden of the citizens. Stating that bank debts have increased significantly during the AKP era, Erbakan said, "The citizens' debt has risen from 6 billion liras to 5.7 trillion liras. This is something unseen in the world. The nation has become impoverished. Minimum wage earners and retirees are living below the hunger threshold."

Evaluating the government's infrastructure investments, Erbakan said, "Divided roads, high-speed trains, and airports are nice, but if the citizen is below the poverty and hunger threshold, these do not mean much."

"We do not find it appropriate to grant the right to hope to Öcalan"

Addressing the debates on granting the "right to hope" to PKK terrorist organization leader Abdullah Öcalan, Erbakan emphasized their opposition, stating, "We do not find it appropriate to grant the right to hope to Öcalan. If such a step is to be taken, it should be asked of our nation, and a referendum should be held."

Sharing his views on social media, Erbakan drew attention to the risks, especially for children. Erbakan stated, "I think social media is harmful. I believe that banning it for those under 16 would be beneficial."

News Source: 12punto