Islamist Party Leader Urges AKP Lawmakers to Join New Alliance, Warns: “If Iran Falls, Türkiye Is Next”

Summary:

Saadet Party leader Mahmut Arıkan has called on ruling AKP lawmakers to join a broadened opposition alliance in parliament, warning that regional instability — particularly in Iran — poses direct risks to Türkiye. His remarks combine domestic political maneuvering with stark geopolitical rhetoric, underscoring growing unease across parts of Türkiye’s political spectrum over regional conflict and internal polarization.

Call to Expand the “New Path” Group

Speaking at a press conference in the Turkish parliament on Wednesday, Saadet Party leader Mahmut Arıkan said the parliamentary group known as the Yeni Yol (“New Path”) alliance should be expanded beyond its current three-party structure and repositioned as a broader political alternative.

Arıkan argued that Türkiye’s presidential system, with its 50%+1 electoral threshold, has made political alliances unavoidable. He said the New Path initiative should evolve into a genuine “third way” rather than a tactical parliamentary arrangement.

“What began as a mechanism to secure speaking rights in parliament has now taken on a broader meaning,” Arıkan said. “The New Path must open itself to more parties and truly become a new political route.”

In a move that surprised political observers, Arıkan directly invited lawmakers from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to join the initiative.

“I am specifically calling on AKP deputies to take part in this process,” he said.

“If Iran Is the Target, Türkiye Is in Line”

Arıkan’s remarks extended beyond domestic politics into regional geopolitics. Referring to recent anti-government protests in Iran and rising regional tensions, he warned that Türkiye could be next in line if Iran were destabilized.

“To block what we see as a larger American strategy, only two obstacles remain — and one of them is Türkiye,” Arıkan said. “If Iran is the target, then Türkiye is next. If Iran falls, they will move against Türkiye. We will not give up the ‘yellow ox’.”

The phrase, commonly used in Turkish political discourse, refers to sacrificing an early warning sign and facing greater danger later.

Kurdish Issue and Syria: “This Geography Belongs to All”

Addressing questions on ongoing unrest in Syria and protests in Türkiye — including symbolic acts such as hair-braiding demonstrations — Arıkan defended the right to protest as a fundamental democratic freedom.

“Protest is the most natural right of people,” he said.

Arıkan stressed Saadet Party’s roots in the Milli Görüş movement and its historical engagement with the Kurdish issue, citing past actions by Islamist politicians who paid political and legal costs for outreach efforts in the 1990s.

“This land belongs to Kurds as much as it belongs to Turks,” he said. “It belongs to everyone living here. Sunnis and Alevis have equal rights over these lands. Being the majority does not justify ignoring minority rights — and the reverse is also true.”

He warned that defining majority nationalism as legitimate while branding minority rights advocacy as separatism would lead to political deadlock.

Syria, U.S. Policy and the SDF Question

Arıkan also questioned U.S. policy shifts in Syria, particularly Washington’s changing stance toward the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

“From the early days of Assad, we have seen attempts to redesign the region,” he said. “At one point the U.S. stood alongside the SDF. What changed? What was negotiated? What agreement was reached that support was withdrawn? Now we see bombings again.”

He argued that recent developments should be assessed within a broader historical and geopolitical context rather than through short-term headlines.

Call for Action From Parliament’s “Terror-Free Türkiye” Commission

Arıkan urged the parliamentary Terror-Free Türkiye Commission to take a more active role amid rising regional tensions and conflicting reports from Syria.

“The commission has been operating for over a year, but today it must step in like never before,” he said. “It should not just put its hand under the stone, but its entire body.”

He proposed that the commission form a delegation — potentially including all 51 of its members — to visit the region directly, observe developments on the ground and provide transparent information to the public.

“Only then can we make a sound and credible assessment,” Arıkan said.

Source: Parliamentary press conference
Author: WS37