New Welfare Party to run independently

The New Welfare Party will not join any alliance in the presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey set for May 14 and run as an independent party instead, the party chair Fatih Erbakan announced on Monday.

The decision came as a surprise as the party was expected to join the People’s Alliance and support President Tayyip Erdogan in the presidential race against opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

In a speech addressing the issue, Erbakan spoke passionately about the importance of the National Vision (Milli Gorus,) an Islamist political movement that has its roots in the 1970s, and insisted that the movement is a cause that is bigger than any individual or political alliance, and that his party is committed to upholding its principles and values.

The New Welfare’s decision came after the ruling AKP (Justice and Development) rejected its demand for the abolition of Law 6284 on the protection of the family and prevention of violence against women as a condition for joining the People's Alliance.

Family Minister Derya Yanik and AKP Group Deputy Chair Ozlem Zengin said it was impossible to accept this condition as the issue was their “red line.”

In addition, Erbakan announced that he will be running as the New Welfare Party's candidate in the presidential elections, and that the party will be submitting his candidacy application to the Supreme Election Council.