Critical 'Istanbul' and 'Ankara' statement from YRP: 'We were not founded so that the AKP would not lose'

Yeniden Refah Party Deputy Chairman Suat Kılıç spoke about the March 31 elections. Stating, "We are not a political party founded to support the candidates of the People's Alliance," Kılıç indicated that they are not within the scope of the alliance's candidate efforts. Kılıç also used the expressions, "We are not a political party founded so that the AK Party would not lose in Istanbul or so that the AK Party would not lose in Ankara."

Yeniden Refah Party Deputy Chairman Suat Kılıç made critical statements in front of the cameras following the Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting held under the chairmanship of Chairman Fatih Erbakan. 

Suat Kılıç said the following in his statement:

"GOOD MORNING AGAIN, MR. MINISTER"

"Treasury and Finance Minister Mr. Mehmet Şimşek has a noteworthy statement. Mr. Şimşek says that they are not considering increases in taxes such as SCT and VAT due to their negative impact on inflation. Good morning, Mr. Minister. Following the elections, there were consecutive SCT increases in the near term. The VAT rate was increased from 18 percent to 20 percent. The increases in both SCT and VAT were unfortunately reflected as price hikes on all goods and services, primarily food inflation. It occurred as a result of the 'hike, hike, hike, tax, tax, tax' policy. Yes, your assessment today is correct. If an increase is made to VAT and SCT, this will appear before us as high inflation. Well, did the increases made to VAT and SCT yesterday, the previous month, and the month before that not appear before us again as inflation, as price increase rates, and as hikes? Did our people's purchasing power not shrink due to the SCT and VAT increases made in recent months? Did life not become even more difficult? Did the lowest pension of 7,500 liras and the monthly minimum wage figure of 11,402 liras not become even more meaningless due to additional taxes? Good morning again, Mr. Minister. Yes, do not increase SCT and VAT; broaden the tax base, reduce indirect taxes, and allow our people to breathe," he said.

CRITICAL ALLIANCE STATEMENT

Suat Kılıç used the following expressions regarding joint candidate efforts with the People's Alliance in the local elections:

"We will not support the People's Alliance, and here is why we will not support them. We are not a political party founded to support the candidates of the People's Alliance. If there is an offer made to us, we will look at the nature of the offer. We will address its content and discuss it. If we can reach an approach that can meet the expectations of the Yeniden Refah Party's base and organization and that can make the stance of the Yeniden Refah Party stronger, we can create a response to this approach with the same approach. But we are not a political party founded so that 'the AK Party would not lose in Istanbul or the AK Party would not lose in Ankara.'" 

"WE FELT THE SUPPORT OF OUR PEOPLE"

"We have our own candidate nominees, and we have candidates in the places we have announced. We also have efforts aimed at announcing our own candidates in Istanbul and Ankara. But of course, politics is essentially a matter of negotiation. It is a matter of keeping the doors open. There can also be back-door diplomacy in politics. We continue to keep our doors open or ajar. As the old saying goes, 24 hours is a long time in politics; instead of keeping the doors tightly closed, we have expressed that as a political party, we are open to offers, negotiations, and discussions. There is no offer that has come. We do not find it very important that there isn't one. Because we have already seen the blessing of participating in the race with our own logo and candidates in the parliamentary general elections. We also felt the support of our people. Today, in the provinces we visited within the scope of the Anatolian Meetings, both our citizens who are party members and those we met on the street who are not party members have a basic request from us: 'Show your own candidates in the municipal elections so that the current mistakes do not continue. Be an alternative; we need an alternative.' Therefore, we are currently not within the scope of the People's Alliance's candidate efforts. There is no offer that has come to us. We have no complaints about this. We are quite comfortable. With firm steps, our base and organization, and our citizens in search of an alternative, are saying, 'Come with your own candidates, we are by your side, we are behind you.' We continue to move in this direction."

News Source: 12punto