18.07.2026 12:50
DEVA Party Chairman Ali Babacan made striking assessments about Turkey's agenda during a live broadcast. Criticizing foreign policy between 2016 and 2023 harshly, Babacan stated that he personally called and congratulated Hakan Fidan, İbrahim Kalın, Yaşar Güler, Cevdet Yılmaz, and Mehmet Şimşek, who joined the cabinet after the 2023 elections.
Ali Babacan, Chairman of the DEVA Party, answered questions from Tacire Baktaş and Mehmet Ali Kulat on the program “Anketler Konuşuyor” broadcast on TİVİ6. Babacan, who harshly criticized the foreign policy after leaving the government in 2015, announced that he personally called and congratulated 5 members of the cabinet that took office after the 2023 elections.
HE CALLED AND CONGRATULATED 5 MINISTERS
Ali Babacan, recalling that he left the government in 2015, stated that very grave mistakes were made in foreign policy between 2016 and 2023. Emphasizing that he called and congratulated 5 ministers who took office after 2023, Babacan used the following striking expressions on the subject: "So we really lived through a terrible period where things that caused great harm to the country, like the saying 'a fool throws a stone into a well and forty wise men cannot take it out,' were done. But after the 2023 elections, with Hakan Fidan becoming Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ibrahim Kalın becoming Head of the MIT, and Yaşar Güler Pasha becoming Minister of National Defense—who were a team that worked harmoniously among themselves—we saw a period of recovery.
So after that really terrible six or seven years of foreign policy between 2016 and 2023, there is an effort to abandon mistakes, repair wounds, and put Turkey back on the track it should be on. After the 2023 elections, the government was formed. In that government, on the economy side, there were Cevdet Yılmaz as Vice President and Mehmet Şimşek. On the foreign policy and security side, there were these three names, the three I mentioned. These are names we know closely and have worked with before. And their presence frankly gave me hope, and I called all of these names and congratulated them. I said, 'Look, we lost the election, you won, but I am glad that you are in these positions,' I said to all five of them."
"ACTION WAS DELAYED IN THE HALUK LEVENT AND AHBAP OPERATION"
Babacan, arguing that the government acted late regarding the Haluk Levent and AHBAP operation, emphasized that prejudgment should not be made about anyone before the judicial process is complete, saying: "If there are such large sums and such big incidents, why didn't you investigate them until now? They say it's about the earthquake; three and a half years have passed, why didn't you do anything in that time? If there are figures like ten million, hundred million, there are many people from the Court of Accounts and state audit units. There are many people in the state who understand accounts and books. Expert auditors can just look, flip through for fifteen minutes, and understand if there is anything fishy or not. The problem here is this: It has been going on for years, on and on. Then comes the big operation. Well, why didn't you do it on time? Organizations that are well-known in the public eye and have large figures need to be audited at a very early stage. I mean, don't tell me 'we couldn't do it, we didn't know, we couldn't reach it...' They can tell that to someone else. Come on. I managed this country's economy for a full eleven years. The state knows. Just as long as there is the will. But if there is behind-the-scenes cooperation with malicious people, with malicious people within the state, then things go somewhere else. I mean, turning a blind eye, knowingly leaving the door open to benefit someone, or 'let it grow a bit more, we have our main political goals. Let those related to those political goals get caught in the net.' The issue might seem a bit like a financial operation. But as a result of the financial operation, let action also be taken regarding those we are primarily politically targeting. Of course, these are not good things. A state of law is not managed like this. But the solution is just as easy. I mean, the person at the top needs to be rock solid. He needs to say, 'I will not steal, I will not let others steal, my friend.' He needs to say, 'I will destroy anyone who steals.' That's how it gets solved, it can't be otherwise."
"THE ALLIANCE WILL EXPAND STAGE BY STAGE"
While answering the question about the New Path Group and alliance efforts, Babacan noted that discussions with other parties and independent politicians continue to build a new alternative, and provided the following information about the work: "Regarding the construction of a new alternative, thank God, we are right in the middle of a very positive, step-by-step progressing process. In this new alternative construction, our priority is political parties with whom we can act together and be in the same alliance. This will expand stage by stage, it seems, thank God. Even if not at this stage, in later stages, the number of political parties we think we can be within the same alliance structure is not small.
Our concern is this: Truly those who love this country, who are sincere in their claim of clean governance—clean governance is very important for us. You know, a management approach based on morality in politics. These are extremely, extremely important for us. Because we saw what happens when these are not present. We saw how the country got into trouble when there was no clean governance. Of course, the claim of clean governance applies not only to central government. That claim of clean governance is very valuable in municipalities as well. And they need to pass a test. I mean, if we look at our counterparts, if they truly have a sincere claim of clean governance, if they say, 'Friend, we will eradicate these corruptions from this country root and branch,' and if they are sincere in that, we will sit down and talk with anyone. It's not an issue at all. I mean, this alliance structure will expand even further."
"THE PIPES NEED TO BE CUT AGAIN FOR RETIREES AND MINIMUM WAGE EARNERS"
Claiming that Turkey has sufficient resources and that the rights and labor of retirees and minimum wage earners are going elsewhere, Babacan stated the need to "cut the pipes" and continued as follows: "When leakages in the country are plugged, when trust is established, when the country's resources are tied to solid foundations, the retiree will smile, the minimum wage earner will smile, the tradesman will smile, and the farmer will smile. I mean, the state has revenues, it does, but there are also many holes at the bottom of the pool. It's like what comes from charity goes to waste. I mean, the income is entirely escaping through those holes. Therefore, those holes need to be plugged.
If you remember, there was a famous issue of 'siphoning off.' We used to say, 'Some people are siphoning off the state's resources, we will cut them off and connect them to the people's pockets.' We are at the same point now. Nothing else. I mean, 2.7 trillion is being paid in interest from this year's budget. Why is such high interest being paid? Because there is no trust. Where there is high risk and lack of trust, interest rates are high. When you establish trust, interest rates fall. When you spend the money you waste on interest on the people, the country's face smiles."
"THEY SAID PIOUS GENERATION; ATHEISM, DEISM."
Ali Babacan, while noting that the number one issue for the public in Turkey is the economy and cost of living, also drew attention to the moral disintegration: "Unfortunately, we also see that there has been a serious erosion in these values over time. On one hand, while those governing the country put themselves forward with the claim 'We will raise a pious generation,' looking at the results, a picture where atheism and deism are increasing, virtual gambling and betting are becoming widespread, and our youth are probably at their most hopeless in this last twenty-year period is unfortunately presented to us as the current picture of Turkey."}
Stating that economic problems trigger virtual gambling, Babacan said that people turn to quick earnings instead of halal earnings through honest labor. Emphasizing that virtual betting and gambling have been legalized in a country where casinos are banned, Babacan stated: "Everyone has hundreds of gambling machines on their phones right now. And these are accessed through legal websites. They say they are fighting illegal gambling and illegal betting. Because when we look, the companies they license and permit are generally companies close to the government. But when some operate illegally from outside, they are, in a way, taking from the revenue and profit of those government-close companies. So the fight is exactly against the illegal ones. That is, what they call 'we are fighting' is currently only against the illegal ones, so that they can protect their monopoly and make good money."
Another grave situation is that advertising for legal gambling and legal betting is free. Look, today in Turkey, cigarette advertising is banned, alcohol advertising is banned. Not only in Turkey, but in many countries around the world it is banned. Because this is a bad habit, a harmful habit. Okay, there shouldn't be a prohibitionist mentality, but at the very least, advertising is not allowed so that it isn't promoted. Right now, virtual gambling and virtual betting ads are blazing in Turkey. When you open your phone, they appear in front of you. The government just watches. They haven't taken a single step beyond watching. I was already amazed when they first issued licenses. That is, I was astonished how people who govern the country with the claim of raising a religious generation could license and permit these in a way that paves the way for virtual gambling and virtual betting. The AK Party we founded in our time was not like that."
"WITH SUCH A HUGE SOCIAL WOUND, THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T LIFT A FINGER"
Continuing his criticisms on virtual gambling, the DEVA Party leader argued that blocking it is very easy: "Now, with such a huge social wound, such a huge problem, it is truly unbelievable that those governing the country remain indifferent and don't lift a finger. Is money really that important? Is everything about money? I can't understand it. If you are serious, if gambling is bad, if betting is bad, closing them down is, believe me, very easy. Look, these can be shut down tonight at midnight. Because today, even an anonymous account insulting the President can be found and dragged to the police station by six in the morning, right? If there is an insult to the President, they find it. So when they set their minds to it, they find it. Oh, it's like this, like that, who knows what. Stories. Let them not fool anyone. Because this is not just about accessing the internet. Behind this, there are also payment systems. Money is flowing. There is a payment mechanism behind every payment you make online. And the authority allowing these payment systems is the BDDK (Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency). A payment system that the BDDK does not permit cannot be established or used in Turkey."
"THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS HEAD OF THE ECONOMY; WE ASPIRE TO BE HEAD OF THE COUNTRY"
Saying they want to expand the alliance, Babacan gave a clear answer to the question "How long will it take to fix the economy?": "God willing, we can completely rebuild the state structure in one month. Even the most decrepit institution can get back on its feet in a month. After six months, the economic climate will completely change. But at most, by the end of two years, we will have those bright periods we once had, which people still remember fondly. Those bright periods we can quickly recreate. All this will happen within two years at the latest. But especially the environment regarding freedoms, press freedom, or judicial independence. These are instantaneous things."
Closing the door to calls from AK Party circles saying 'Support us so things can recover,' Babacan made the following statement: "I say things have changed a lot now. All authority is in one person. The other people no longer have much influence or authority, no signing authority. We aspire to lead the country. There is no such thing as head of the economy anymore. There is only one position in the current system, and that is being at the head of the country. We aspire to that."
"I WANT SPAIN TO WIN THE WORLD CUP"
Ali Babacan stated that he supports Spain in the World Cup final for political reasons beyond sports: "Generally in sports matters, it is said that the deserving should win, the good should win, but on the other hand, the attitude and stance of Spain, the Spanish government, and the Spanish people regarding Gaza and then the Iran war was truly valuable. There was also a beautiful bond between Spain and Turkey, between societies. Especially in the digital environment, on social media, people wrote to each other, quoted each other, and a beautiful friendship bond formed between peoples."
"Spain, as you know, is one of our strongest supporters regarding the European Union. From the beginning, whichever Spanish government it has been, they have defended that Turkey should be in the European Union. That is also valuable. That is, we have never had problems with Spain, for example. So it is valuable in that regard. Therefore, my heart leans towards them inevitably. But as general principles of sports, if we can say whoever deserves it, whoever works hard, whoever is good should win, this time my heart leans a bit towards Spain."