Yeniden Refah Party (YRP) Istanbul MP Doğan Bekin announced that he had resigned from his position as Deputy Chairman and his membership of the Central Decision and Administration Board at Fatih Erbakan’s request. Speaking in Parliament, Bekin said that he had been raised within the Milli Görüş tradition and had worked with Necmettin Erbakan. Bekin said he had brought to the Presidential Board statements in Party Deputy Chairman Suat Kılıç’s books concerning the February 28 process and Necmettin Erbakan, and stated that he had asked Kılıç to apologize but was told that there was no situation requiring an apology to the public. Saying that the silence of Fatih Erbakan and the members of the board had upset him, Bekin noted that he had been held responsible for the internal party disputes being reflected in the press. Bekin said he had received invitations from other parties but stated that he would remain in YRP and continue to defend the oppressed. He said that an FETÖ operation or plot would not be able to prevent his determination.
Why it matters
Bekin’s departure points not only to a change of position within YRP but also to a difference of opinion within the party leadership over issues such as the February 28 process and Necmettin Erbakan’s political legacy. The dispute’s being brought to Parliament shows that disagreements at the leadership level can come before the public when they cannot be resolved through internal party channels. This concerns voters following how YRP responds to internal criticism and differing assessments among members of the leadership. Bekin’s announcement that he would remain in YRP despite receiving invitations from other parties shows that the resignation was an objection to the party’s approach to governance rather than an attempt to change parties. The question that remains open is how the party leadership will manage internal disputes following these objections.
Background
Fatih is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 6 reports mentioning this name in the last 90 days; the latest is dated September 26, 2026.