Felicity Party leader rules out election alliance, criticizes ruling AKP

ANKARA

Felicity Party (SP) leader Temel Karmollaoğlu has ruled out any possibility joining the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party’s (MHP) “People’s Alliance,” saying the AKP government is “not engaging with Turkey’s serious problems.”

“Those who speak against the government are being sent to jail one day later or being dismissed from their jobs. The country should not be like this. They say: ‘Come and join the People’s Alliance.’ I wound not be so crazy,” Karamollaoğlu said on March 9 at his party’s provincial congress in Ankara.

“[They ask] us what we expect, or how many ministries we want, or how many lawmakers. But this nation cannot be sold for 20, 120 or even 250 lawmakers. Everyone should know that,” he added.

Karamollaoğlu’s fringe conservative party, which received less than one percent of votes in the November 2015 election, has recently come into focus in Turkey, drawing attention from both the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and ruling “National Alliance” ahead of crucial elections in 2019, after which the executive presidential system is due to fully go into effect.

The SP opposed to the shift to an executive presidency in the April 2017 referendum, with Karamollaoğlu saying he favored a strengthening of the democratic parliamentary. The CHP has recently held meetings with the SP leader within the framework of its bid to form an “alliance of principles” against the system change.

The AKP and the MHP, meanwhile, are seeking to unite all conservative parties in the country, with the religious ultra-nationalist Grand Union Party (BBP) already pledging their support to the alliance.

Karamollaoğlu has repeatedly stated that his party will not take part in any alliance, criticizing the AKP for “not prioritizing the problems of the country.”

“Our country is going through very tough times. We are facing very serious problems. But when we look at those who are governing the country, none of these problems is on their agenda,” he said.