Evaluating Erbakan's being sentenced to prison, FP deputies stated that the decision was a political one and that it would actually increase FP's rate of votes.
Oguzhan Asilturk: Imprisonments will not lead us to giving up
Virtue Party's (FP) Malatya Deputy, Oguzhan Asilturk, stated that they would not be yielded by Erbakan's imprisonment decision and added that this was how they survived the past 30 years.Claiming that this decision may cause discomfort within some groups in Turkey, Asilturk said the following: " These are all going to change. We are not going to give up on our struggle. Whatever who may say, we will win in the end.Currently in the Parliament we share seats with the former September 12th administrators and we do not feel enmity against them. We do not say everyone should support us, however everyone needs to respect how ever the others may choose to live. Under these conditions, FP's general chairman should not be changed in order for us to be strong."
Ertan Yulek: Our vote rate will increase
Deputy General Chairman of FP, Ertan Yulek on the other hand claimed that this imprisonment decision would actually increase the vote rate of their party. Stating that this incident will bring FP members closer, Yulek said, " Necmettin Erbakan's effects on Turkish political life will never end, even after his death. This incident will make Virtue stronger than before."
