AK Party Deputy Chairman Prof. Dr. Hasan Basri Yalçın answered Fulya Öztürk's questions in the Mind Circle program on CNN Türk live broadcast.
Here are the highlights from those statements:
All the statements made by our President from the beginning very clearly reflect our party's position from the first day. We are trying to clarify this process from the very beginning, regardless of who is at fault in this incident. In other words, if there is a fraud story or a funding problem, we do our best to go to the end and ensure that no aspect of this issue is left unclarified.
"FUNDING ISSUE WILL BE RESOLVED"
I already come across some statements that try to make this controversial. We come across very strange and meaningless statements, whether in the opposition or in the media channels close to the opposition, such as the AK Party is trying to slow down this process in some way, but what they do not understand is that this is not a story where a list will be formed so easily and everything around that list will be revealed very clearly in one day. Those who follow it closely have already understood that this involves supervising research and investigations that last for many months. Ultimately, our President is already making a decision regarding this and showing determination. It doesn't matter who they are from, whether they are close to us or against us, from distinguishing those who are guilty of the slightest crime and those who are not, without looking at anyone's eyes, to identifying those who are victims here, those who lost their own money in the fund, to those who are involved in this, whether they are politicians, bureaucrats or from another community.
"THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION WHILE THE OPPOSITION WAS NOT KNOWLEDGE OF THE ISSUE"
Someone set up a counter in the stock market and tried to defraud the citizens of their money by involving them in that counter. Of course, there were people from other bureaucracy and politics who were included in it from all over the society. In this context, the story is suddenly recirculated and unfortunately, especially the opposition is trying to go over it by using political language. However, from the very beginning, we have been trying to explain that this is a judicial process and that it actually has a front such as distinguishing between right and wrong in the stock market, and distinguishing between guilty and innocent. In fact, those investigations are continuing right now and we are talking about an investigation process carried out with sensitivity and sincerity.
But the job becomes a little difficult because we are faced with an opposition that tries to turn this into political opportunism and political gain, without distinguishing between the guilty and the innocent, as if muddying the waters in a meddlesome manner. We always say that, whoever is close to the AK Party or close to other parties, whoever is involved in this in some way or another, we have already started working on this, even when the opposition was not aware of it. Therefore, we will take this process to the end. There is no problem with this. Various boards were established.
"THE ISSUE SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR POLITICS"
We are talking about a process similar to this in America that lasts 10 years. I think it's a caricatural idea to say that everyone should make this list from their seats. The opposition has been carrying out such a hasty and opportunistic effort from the very beginning, within the framework of efforts to put the blame mostly on our party, through various infiltrations that we can only guess where they got their hands on.
"YOU TRAVELED FROM CITY TO CITY AND DEFENDED THEFTS"
We said this from the beginning, look, we are trying to distinguish between the guilty and the innocent, you did not do that. You went from city to city defending the thefts committed by your mayors. Even though each of them has been reflected in the court and you organize a coup in the CHP with the pool you created from those mayors, you change a chairman through him by bargaining for delegates at the pavilion tables and a court decision is made over him.
You can't play with people's dignity that easily. If there is a real crime, if there is a real involvement, then we will hold them accountable together. However, if you try to explain the incident in a way that is much more exaggerated than it is and spreads it to all AK Party organizations, just to turn it into a political gain, we will not allow it. In fact, the issue is much more serious than the opposition dilutes it and treats it with such frivolity.
"Türkiye IS NOT SENDING SOLDIERS TO YEMEN"
This is one of the debates that the opposition is taking from the most unlikely place. To bring the issue down to the simplicity of 'Are we sending soldiers to Yemen?' Unfortunately, one of the main problems of the opposition in our country is that they are not useful for anything and have never learned how to hold a debate.
In fact, the issue is not just about Yemen or just the Houthis. The issue is not just about Saudi Arabia, it is not just about the Mecca Agreement, it is not just about the Middle East, Turkey has a very comprehensive approach to foreign policy.
The Mecca Agreement aims for peace and stability in the region.
"MECCA ALLIANCE MAY EXPAND"
New countries, especially Egypt, may participate.
“THE OPPOSITION HAS NO SERVICE CULTURE”
There is such a thing as AK Party municipalism, everyone knows it.
“THERE MAY BE NEW PARTICIPATIONS”
Our President said our door is open, we are waiting. I won't name names, but there is a metropolitan city next in line. Hopefully we will see it as soon as possible.
