Saadet Party Chairman Mahmut Arıkan criticized the government’s economic, justice and freedom policies at his party’s Yıldırım District Congress. He argued that the government came to power 24 years ago with a promise of “3Y,” but has now established an order of “waste, favoritism and exploitation.” Arıkan, who claimed that even larger corruption allegations would emerge in the coming period, said that proximity to the government and allegiance had taken precedence over merit, and that spiritual, religious and nationalist sentiments were being used in politics. He stated that under a Saadet Party government, “frugality” would be implemented against waste, “principles” against favoritism, “due care” against exploitation, along with independent oversight mechanisms. Regarding the latest operations, Arıkan argued that some allegations had been raised by investment funds and media members in Europe before public institutions addressed them. He listed the operations conducted during Akın Gürlek’s tenure as follows:
- illegal betting, online gambling and drugs
- new-generation criminal organizations, irregular citizenship procedures and public resources
- personal data, tourism regions and capital markets
Stating that oversight was a fundamental function alongside the legislative, executive and judicial branches, he asked why the operations had not been carried out earlier.
Why it matters
Arıkan’s statements show that the Saadet Party frames its criticism of the government not only in terms of economic outcomes, but also around merit, oversight and legal processes in public administration. This framework brings to the fore a collective discussion of operations in different areas, such as illegal betting, drugs, citizenship, personal data and capital markets, in terms of the use of public resources and the functioning of institutions, rather than treating them as isolated incidents. The political significance of the speech stems not only from its criticism of current practices, but also from its presentation of a vision for governance regarding how independent oversight mechanisms would operate. However, while Arıkan’s assessments concerning corruption and the timing of the operations remain political claims within the scope of the speech, the basis for these claims and the response of the relevant institutions remain unclear.
Background
Arıkan is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: in the past 90 days, we have published 2 articles mentioning his name, the most recent dated September 27, 2026.