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New Welfare Party Leader Rejects Alliances, Eyes Independent Election Run
🇹🇷 Turkey /Elections & Politics

New Welfare Party Leader Rejects Alliances, Eyes Independent Election Run

From Cumhuriyet · () Turkish

Translated from Turkish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Fatih Erbakan, leader of the New Welfare Party, stated that his party's vote share increased more than twofold when they ran independently of the Cumhur Alliance.
  • He argued that past decisions to join alliances were suitable for their time, but the current situation requires the party to run alone in elections.
  • Erbakan also indicated that his party would not join an alliance led by the CHP, believing it is best for them to contest elections independently.

Fatih Erbakan, the leader of Turkey's New Welfare Party, has rejected the notion that his party's electoral success is solely due to alliances. He asserted that the party's vote share significantly increased when they ran independently of the Cumhur Alliance, citing a rise from 2.89% within the alliance to 7% in local elections held outside of it.

They say you got votes because you were in the Cumhur Alliance, which is not very accurate. When we were part of the Cumhur Alliance, we received 2.89% of the vote. In the local elections, despite being outside the Cumhur Alliance, we received 7% of the vote. Therefore, our votes increased more than twofold outside the Cumhur Alliance.

— Fatih ErbakanResponding to criticisms that his party gained votes due to the Cumhur Alliance.

Erbakan explained that while joining alliances was appropriate for past political conditions and voter expectations, the current landscape necessitates a different approach. "What was right then is not right now," he stated, adding that "what has been tried once should not be tried again." This suggests a strategic shift for the party, moving towards greater autonomy in electoral politics.

What was right then is not right now. The right thing for us then was to be there, aligning with the expectations of the conservative voter. But the right thing today is no longer to be part of the Cumhur Alliance. Because what has been tried once should not be tried again.

— Fatih ErbakanExplaining the party's shift in alliance strategy.

Addressing speculation about potential new alliances, particularly following discussions involving CHP leader Özgür Özel, Erbakan clarified his party's independent stance. He expressed skepticism about joining any alliance, especially one led by the CHP, which he noted is now fragmented into multiple factions. Erbakan concluded that the New Welfare Party's optimal path forward is to contest elections independently, charting its own course.

We have never been in an alliance led by CHP. CHP has now become not one, but two. I don't think that would be appropriate either. I think it is right for us to enter the elections alone.

— Fatih ErbakanOn the possibility of forming an alliance with the CHP.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Cumhuriyet in Turkish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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