Fatih Erbakan's NATO summit comment that will anger President Erdoğan.

16.07.2026 15:20

Yeniden Refah Partisi leader Fatih Erbakan harshly criticized the NATO Summit held in Ankara, arguing that Turkey achieved no concrete gains in defense and diplomacy. Stating that the summit was masked by superficial headlines such as "mehter, menu, and magazine," Erbakan said, "Turkey sat at the table as the host at this NATO summit but left the table as a waiter."

Yeniden Refah Party Chairman Fatih Erbakan harshly criticized the NATO Summit at a press conference held at the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Arguing that the summit was presented to the public with its tabloid aspects, Erbakan claimed that no concrete progress was made on Turkey's core expectations in defense industry and foreign policy.

Erbakan said, “I regretfully state that Turkey sat at the table as the host at this NATO summit but left the table as a waiter. The imposed agenda featured mehter music, menus, and tabloid content. In the lived agenda, there were undelivered aircraft, unresolved embargoes, and alongside the 12 billion summit expenditure, there is the billions of dollars we paid for the undelivered F-35 jets. On the front of truth, there are handcuffs placed even on the possibility of protest, and the forgetting and ignoring of D-8, the true address of salvation.”

Yeniden Refah Party Chairman Dr. Fatih Erbakan made statements on current issues at a press conference held at the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Beginning his remarks by commemorating those who lost their lives in the July 15 coup attempt, Erbakan stated that the coup attempt was preventable and that the government had serious negligence in the process, noting that FETÖ's rise to power within the state was the result of political choices made over many years.

"NO CONCRETE GAIN FOR TURKEY AT THE NATO SUMMIT"

Erbakan also evaluated the NATO Summit held in Ankara, emphasizing that the summit was presented to the public as a "diplomatic success" but no concrete gains were achieved for Turkey.

Stating that during the summit, instead of political outcomes, the organization and the meals served to leaders were discussed, Erbakan said, “We always say what? Today, there are three separate agendas in our country: One, the imposed agenda; two, the lived agenda; three, what we call the front of truth. First, what was in the imposed agenda? There was show, waste, menus, meals eaten, and tabloid content. For days, what were we told on television about the NATO summit? Well, we played mehter march for the arriving leaders, they were very impressed. The Icelandic Prime Minister was amazed by the presidential complex. President Erdoğan and Trump walked arm in arm. Macron loved the meals. The leaders' spouses were fascinated by the Ajda Pekkan concert. Macron took a morning walk, wearing sunglasses. We were exposed to these news all week long. But is this the truth? No, it’s not. Why? Because perhaps for the first time in history, we see the reflections of negotiations and political decisions made at such an important summit in the media of the host country. Tabloid topics were discussed, but politics was not. Sanctions imposed on Turkey and issues in the defense industry were not brought up."

"181 MILLION LIRA WAS SPENT ON THINGS THAT WILL BE TRASH TWO DAYS LATER"

Erbakan also criticized the expenditures made for the summit's organization, saying, "Billions of lira were spent just to impress the NATO leaders. But when it comes to the people, no resources can be found," and continued as follows:

"Just to impress the NATO leaders, 181 million lira was spent on panels, signs, and billboards that will be thrown away two days later, and along with road constructions, VIP airport constructions, guest houses, the bill for the two-day summit approached 15 billion lira. Let services certainly be provided to Ankara, but did Trump necessarily have to come to Ankara for the people of Ankara to access these services? The government covered ruins and shanties with curtains, and hid citizens’ poverty with neighborhood entry barriers. However, the leaders who came to this summit know very well Turkey's gross national product, external debt, internal debt, debt interest payments, minimum wage, retirement pension, and the hunger and poverty line in Turkey. Even if you try to cover it with curtains or hide it from the leaders, they know the extent of hunger and poverty in Turkey from official data. All this was done, but when it comes to the people's needs, there is no resource. Yet, when it comes to pleasing global powers and showing off, billions are found overnight. Turkey's unfortunate fate has once again played out. When it comes to the people, there is no time, no cash, no solution, no resource, but when it comes to interest, privileged holdings, and waste, billions are found overnight."

"SANCTIONS WERE NOT LIFTED, THE F-35 ISSUE WAS NOT RESOLVED"

Noting that Turkey could not return from the summit with results meeting its expectations in the defense industry, Erbakan said no concrete progress was made on the delivery of F-35 fighter jets, F-16 modernization, and the supply of engines for the KAAN fighter jet. Stating that no assurance was given regarding the lifting of CAATSA sanctions imposed by the US on Turkey, Erbakan noted that Turkey nevertheless made new defense and energy commitments.

Erbakan stated, "The only thing Trump said with all his arrogance and condescension was, 'I haven't made my final decision, but I am leaning positively.' This is a dismissive and condescending 'we'll see' statement. There is no promise, no assurance, just an extremely arrogant 'we'll look into it when the time comes.' Turkey sat at the table as the host at the NATO Summit but left as a waiter."

Erbakan also criticized the detention of some individuals who were preparing actions in support of Gaza and Palestine before the NATO Summit, stating that the procedures against Mavi Marmara volunteers were not right. Expressing that the government's rhetoric on Palestine contradicts its practices, Erbakan also criticized the activities of the Kürecik Radar Base.

"NOW LET US COME TO THE FRONT OF TRUTH THAT DROPS THE MASKS"

Stating that as Yeniden Refah Party, they advocate for revitalizing D-8 in foreign policy, Erbakan expressed that the "just order" concept introduced by the late Necmettin Erbakan is a way out for Turkey. Calling on the government, Erbakan said, “Now let us come to the front of truth that drops the masks. I want to touch on this briefly. When NATO is mentioned, what comes to our mind? It brings to mind American soldiers under NATO forces in Afghanistan, after killing Afghan civilians, filming themselves urinating on the bodies and laughing while sharing it on social media.

When NATO is mentioned, we think of Libya; its operations and bombings in Libya. When NATO is mentioned, we think of Iraq, Srebrenica, and when NATO is mentioned, we think of an organization whose member countries provide the most support to Israel while the genocide of the century, the greatest genocide in human history, continues live in Gaza.

Foremost, America provided this support to this massacre, this genocide. And as you know, America is the dominant actor of NATO."

"TURKEY SAT AT THE TABLE AS A HOST, BUT..."

"I regretfully state that Turkey sat at the table as a host at this NATO summit, but left the table as a waiter," Erbakan said, continuing his remarks: "The summary of the summit is in these sentences: The imposed agenda included mehter music, menu, and magazine. In the lived agenda, there were undelivered planes, unresolved embargoes, and twelve billion in summit spending, along with billions of dollars we paid for the undelivered F-35 planes that went up in smoke. On the front of truth, there are handcuffs placed even on the possibility of protest, and the forgetting and ignoring of D-8, which is the real address of liberation. There is only one way out against all this imposition, submission, waste, and injustice. That is the National Vision, and the representative of the National Vision is the New Welfare Party government. The established order parties, with different labels but the same mentality, have nothing left to offer the nation."

"THE MINIMUM WAGE SHOULD BE 55 THOUSAND LIRA"

Erbakan also made assessments regarding the economy, criticizing that despite the annual inflation rate reaching 32 percent, the increases in pension benefits were calculated based on lower rates. Drawing attention to the hunger and poverty line data announced by TÜRK-İŞ, Erbakan argued that current wages are far from meeting citizens' basic needs. Stating that the lowest pension should be raised to the level of the minimum wage, Erbakan said, "The minimum wage should also be at half the poverty line, meaning 55 thousand lira."

Noting that the financing of these increases could be covered from interest expenses, Erbakan remarked, "If you save the 2.7 trillion lira you channel to interest lobbies in one year, you can make 30 million people, along with their families, smile. But this is a matter of choice. There must be a government with a 'nation first' mentality. Governments with a 'privileged first' mentality cannot solve this issue. We will ensure justice in sharing with a 'nation first' approach. Instead of a debt-hike, tax-based economy, we will hopefully establish an economy focused on production, employment, and exports in Turkey. We will hopefully establish a just order economy in Turkey."

ASKED ABOUT THE MOMENT HE CRIED

Responding to a journalist's question about the images of him being discussed at the funeral ceremony of Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, last week, Erbakan spoke as follows: "There, a recitation of the Quran was being read with a very beautiful voice, and along with it, the 15-month-old grandson of the late Ali Khamenei, a little girl, had been torn apart by missiles. A coffin of that tiny 15-month-old child was there, and beside it, a photograph of her laughing and playing was placed at the head of the coffin. Under these circumstances, it was impossible not to be emotional. We were moved, and our eyes teared up. It is not appropriate to twist this in different ways. Even if it were an American's child, a Christian's child, seeing it torn apart, deceased, and placed in a coffin, your eyes would still well up."