Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan refused to invite the leader of an Islamist opposition party to a tea he hosted for the leaders of other political parties in parliament on Tuesday on the occasion of the founding anniversary of the parliament.
Turkey on Tuesday marked the 104th anniversary of the foundation of the Turkish parliament, which is also celebrated as Children’s Day.
A reception was held in parliament in the evening, during which Erdoğan met with the leaders of some political parties for tea and conversation.
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel attended the gathering along with some of Erdoğan’s political allies, such as the leader of the radical Islamist Free Cause Party (HÜDA-PAR), Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu.
However, Fatih Erbakan, leader of the New Welfare Party (YRP), which allied with Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the May general election but later parted ways with it and fielded its own candidates for the March 31 local elections, was not invited to the tea.
Erbakan, who later spoke to reporters, said his party did not receive an invitation and that he leaves it to the people to interpret Erdoğan’s attitude.
“It was the decision of the president,” said Erbakan, adding that the YRP will continue to voice its objections to the policies of the AKP government and will never rubber-stamp its every act.
The YRP drew Erdoğan’s ire when the party emerged as the third most successful party in the local elections, taking over some municipalities from the AKP, while the AKP suffered its worst election defeat since its establishment and came in second. The CHP had the most victories in the local elections.
The YRP, established in 2018 by Fatih Erbakan, the son of legendary Islamist prime minister and leader of the Welfare Party (RP) Necmettin Erkaban, managed to garner 6.1 percent of the nationwide vote, amounting to 2.8 million votes.
The YRP’s candidate won the election for mayor of Şanlıurfa in southeastern Turkey and the central province of Yozgat, both formerly known as AKP strongholds. The party also helped the CHP win in İstanbul’s conservative Üsküdar district by splitting the right-wing vote.
The YRP also won 39 district and 24 town municipalities across the country, which came as a surprise to many observers due to the party’s relatively recent emergence on the Turkish political landscape.
Many say the YRP’s anti-Israel rhetoric and its criticism of the AKP government’s ongoing trade with Israel despite its war on Gaza have prompted Turkey’s Islamist and conservative voters to see the YRP as an alternative to the AKP.