16.07.2026 16:01
Fatih Erbakan, the Chairman of the New Welfare Party, who attended the funeral ceremony held months later in Tehran for Iran's former leader Ali Khamenei, who lost his life in a US attack, could not hold back his tears. Erbakan explained why he cried at the ceremony.
Fatih Erbakan, Chairman of the New Welfare Party, held a press conference at the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Erbakan began his remarks by commemorating those who lost their lives during the July 15 coup attempt.
Stating that the coup attempt could have been prevented and that the government had serious negligence in the process, Erbakan noted that FETÖ's rise to power within the state resulted from political choices spanning many years.
Erbakan continued his remarks as follows:
"July 15 was not an event that emerged overnight. It has a history of 15-20 years. Unfortunately, over the years, the current government handed over state institutions to certain structures based on daily political calculations. Later, they tried to evade responsibility by saying 'we were deceived,' but those governing the state cannot escape responsibility after making such major mistakes and claiming 'we were deceived.' All the errors actually began after you took off the National Vision shirt. The infiltration of FETÖ into the state, its structuring, and the making of alliances all occurred after the National Vision shirt was removed. Unfortunately, the space left by National Vision was filled by FETÖ, and what happened is a result of this. If the warnings made by National Vision for years had been heeded, that dark night might not have occurred."
Arguing that the fight against FETÖ has been limited only to the lower ranks of the organization, Erbakan stated, "For a true reckoning, the top tier of the betrayal pyramid must be prosecuted. However, the principle of justice must never be abandoned in this process."
WHY DID HE CRY AT THE FUNERAL IN TEHRAN?
Erbakan also explained why he could not hold back his tears at the funeral ceremony held two weeks ago for Iran's former religious leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US attack.
"The late Khamenei's 15-month-old grandson was torn apart by missiles, with his tiny coffin present and a photo of him laughing and playing placed at the head of the coffin. Under these circumstances, it was impossible not to be moved."