Fatih Erbakan's first assessment of Gülpınar's resignation: 'If he goes to a structure that called him a circus acrobat and a Zübük...'

Following the resignation of Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Kasım Gülpınar from his party, YRP Chairman Fatih Erbakan made statements.

Erbakan also evaluated the possibility of Gülpınar joining the AKP.

In his statement to journalists, Gülpınar said that he would continue his duties as an independent mayor without joining a new party.

HE SPOKE ON THE 'AKP POSSIBILITY'

Speaking on Sözcü TV following the news of the resignation, Fatih Erbakan used the following expressions regarding the possibility of Gülpınar joining the AKP: "If he goes to a structure that used the terms 'circus acrobat' and 'Zübük' for him, there is nothing to say."

Responding to Gülpınar's words, "We made the decision in consultation with the YRP," Erbakan said, "There were some rumors, but there was no definitive information. We were surprised by his statement. There was no consultation with us. I say this with regret, there was no consultation with us. The word consultation is not very logical. If he is saying it as information, no such thing happened either."

"NO GOOD WILL COME FROM THIS RESIGNATION"

Referring to the speech Gülpınar made at the council meeting where he announced his resignation, Erbakan said, "In the meeting he held with municipal council members today, he himself says, 'I had a survey conducted, 79 percent of the public says do not resign, but I cannot work, there is pressure, my projects are not approved, my requests are turned down, that is why I will resign.' I do not think any good will come from an action taken despite 79 percent."

"AKP IS THE FASTEST SHRINKING POLITICAL PARTY TODAY"

Upon being reminded that 14 mayors from his party had resigned and joined the AKP, Erbakan gave the following response:

"The AK Party is the fastest shrinking party in Turkey today. It is melting like a snowball. It loses hundreds of thousands of members every month and loses 5 to 6 percent of its votes per month in serious public opinion polls. Today, it appears to be around 20 percent when undecided voters are not distributed. Including the undecided, the AKP is around 25 percent."

"THE PUBLIC WANTS ME TO BE INDEPENDENT"

Making a statement upon Erbakan's assessment, Gülpınar said, "I consulted with the public. They were the ones who directed me to the mayoralty. As a result of the consultation with the public, the public mostly does not want me to join the AK Party. They want me to continue as an independent."

Regarding the words 'circus acrobat', Gülpınar said, "I will not enter into a polemic. Mr. Fatih is a naive and respectable person, but I do not want to enter into a polemic. As a result, I will continue as an independent."

News Source: 12punto