Liberal Party Chairman Zübeyir Gülabi: There Is a Crisis, but No Problem!

Liberal Party Chairman Zübeyir Gülabi Issues Wide-Ranging Statement

Liberal Party Chairman Zübeyir Gülabi released a comprehensive statement on September 19, 2026, addressing economic and political developments in Türkiye. Gülabi discussed developments in investment funds, citizens’ savings, regulatory oversight, fuel prices, the rule of law, individuals affected by past state measures, the İmralı process, the position of veterans and families of fallen soldiers, and the 2028 elections.

Gülabi summarized the central message of his statement with the phrase, “There is a crisis, but no problem!” He argued that the issues facing Türkiye go beyond economic difficulties and also concern the functioning of public institutions and the principles of the rule of law.

The full text of Liberal Party Chairman Zübeyir Gülabi’s September 19, 2026 statement is as follows:

THERE IS A CRISIS, BUT NO PROBLEM!

September 19, 2026 Press Statement

Dear citizens,

I greet you all with love and respect. Today, I want to describe the situation Türkiye is facing in a single sentence:

There is a crisis, but no problem!

Because in Türkiye today, no matter how serious a crisis emerges, the government already has an answer:

“There is no problem.”

There is no problem in the economy,
no problem in the funds,
no problem in justice,
no problem in state institutions,
no problem in elections,

but there is no money in citizens’ pockets, no confidence and no sense of justice!

WHAT HAPPENED TO CITIZENS’ SAVINGS?

Türkiye is currently discussing a serious crisis involving investment funds. The Capital Markets Board’s decision to place 131 funds managed by seven portfolio management companies into liquidation proceedings has raised concerns about the savings of hundreds of thousands of investors and hundreds of billions of Turkish liras reportedly being exposed to risk. Figures reflected in the public domain indicate that more than 500,000 citizens have money invested in these funds, with total savings reportedly exceeding 850 billion Turkish liras.

Today, I spoke with a young citizen who had invested his money in these funds.

He is 18 years old, works as a waiter and pays his education expenses through his own labor. He invested the money he had saved in these funds because he trusted their advertisements, the stories presented to him and the appearance of security offered to him.

Now I ask:

Is the only thing this young man has lost his money?

No!

You are also taking away his labor, his hope for the future and his trust in the state.

We must demand an account for the money a young person saved through his own hard work.

“THERE IS NO STRUCTURAL PROBLEM” — REALLY?

Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek said that the developments stemmed from credit and liquidity problems in a limited number of funds, that there was no “systemic risk extending across the system,” and that there was no structural problem in the stock market or fund market.

I ask the Minister:

• What constitutes a structural problem for you?
• Is the inability of citizens to trust the institutions to which they entrust their money not a structural problem?
• Is the risk faced by the savings of hundreds of thousands of people not a structural problem?
• Is questioning whether supervisory mechanisms functioned in a timely manner not a structural problem?

The government’s responsibility is not to say “we have taken measures” after a crisis has emerged. The responsibility of the Finance Minister and the government is to protect citizens’ money.

As the Liberal Party, we state this clearly:

A market economy does not mean a system without rules.

A free market requires:

• Strong rule of law,
• Independent oversight,
• Transparency,
• Accountability.

The government should not intervene in the economy to become its master, but to establish and enforce the rules and protect citizens’ rights.

WHERE WERE THE STATE INSTITUTIONS?

There are very serious allegations circulating in the public domain. It is alleged that among individuals reportedly linked to the funds are public officials, people from political circles and individuals holding various prestigious titles. If these allegations are true, the issue is not merely one of financial fraud.

The question then becomes:

• Why did state institutions not act in time?
• Who conducted the oversight?
• Who failed to see what was happening?
• Who knew?
• Who remained silent?
• Who failed to intervene?

And most importantly:

• Why did the institutions responsible for protecting citizens’ money fail to fulfill their duties?

All of these matters must be investigated independently and transparently. The state must stand with citizens whose rights have been violated, not with the powerful.

THE “SYSTEM OF PLUNDER” IS ALSO REACHING INTO CITIZENS’ BREAD

This issue is not limited to investment funds. Look at citizens’ daily lives and you will see the same picture. Look at fuel prices. Diesel, which was around 1 lira during the early years of the government, is now above 100 liras. As of September 2026, diesel prices have reached around 102 liras.

You told citizens, “The Türkiye Century.” What citizens see is 100-lira diesel!

• Truckers’ costs are rising.
• Farmers’ costs are rising.
• Shopkeepers’ costs are rising.
• Transportation costs are rising.
• Ultimately, the prices of bread, milk, vegetables and fruit at the market are rising.
• In other words, citizens are once again paying the price for the government’s economic failures.

As the Liberal Party, we say:

Türkiye does not need more government intervention; it needs stronger rule of law, more independent institutions, genuine competition and an accountable system of government.

IF JUSTICE IS NOT APPLIED EQUALLY TO EVERYONE, IT IS NOT JUSTICE

Another fundamental issue is justice. The state’s legal system cannot change from person to person. If you intervene in a citizen’s property, salary or bank account through legal means, there must be a clear, objective and equal legal basis for doing so.

If the law is applied to one person but not another, then what exists is not the rule of law but the politicization of law. This is precisely what we object to.

• Whoever commits a crime,
• whoever causes public harm,
• whoever violates a citizen’s rights must be held accountable before the law, regardless of their identity, political views, religious community, order or party affiliation.

A person’s proximity to the government cannot be the measure of justice.

THERE CANNOT BE ONE LAW FOR PKK MEMBERS AND ANOTHER FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY DECREE-LAW MEASURES!

If the government is preparing a new regulation:

• Its fundamental principles must be clear,
• Laws must be general and comprehensive rather than tailored to specific individuals.
• The scope, content and legal consequences of any regulation concerning the PKK issue must be explained clearly to the public.
• At the same time, the situation of citizens who suffered serious grievances because of state practices in previous years must also be addressed within the framework of the rule of law.

Our proposal is clear:

• Instead of a regulation that applies “only to this particular group,” establish a clear, general, objective and equal legal framework concerning crimes committed against the state.
• Apply the law according to the nature of the offense.
• Do not apply the law according to the individual.

Because in a state governed by the rule of law, people in the same legal situation cannot be treated differently because of political preferences.

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN İMRALI?

We are now facing another contradiction. Political circles within the government that for years accused the opposition of cooperating with the PKK are now conducting the İmralı process. MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli stated that what was built for Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı was not a “villa,” but a 250-square-meter garden residence within the prison complex. Bahçeli said the facility would be used for meetings and the delivery of messages.

Our questions are:

• What is the legal framework of this government policy?
• Where does Parliament stand in this process?
• Where does the public stand?
• Where is transparency?

A process of such importance to Türkiye’s future cannot be conducted behind closed doors. This country has lost tens of thousands of people because of terrorism. Families of fallen soldiers carry their pain. Veterans carry their wounds. No political approach that ignores the conscience of these people can succeed.

• If you want peace, achieve it through the law.
• If you want weapons to fall silent, achieve it through democratic legitimacy.
• If you want to build Türkiye’s future, include the people in the process.

YOU CANNOT REMOVE VETERANS FROM PARKS AND CONDUCT A TERRORISM PROCESS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

We do not accept a state approach that refuses to listen to the objections of veterans and families of fallen soldiers. Silencing citizens who fought against terrorism while conducting negotiations behind closed doors concerning the future of a terrorist organization would further damage the public’s sense of justice. Türkiye needs equality before the law, not double standards.

This is why the Liberal Party exists.

WHO ARE YOU HOLDING THE ELECTION FOR?

And now we come to the most fundamental issue of democracy: elections.

Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said that an election would be held in 2028 for President Erdoğan to be elected again. In other words, they are going to hold an arranged election.

Apparently, these were not enough:

• The claim that a cat entered a transformer,
• The last-minute recognition of allegedly unlawful unstamped ballots as valid,
• The cancellation of elections based on the argument that “if they cannot prove that nothing happened, then something must have happened.”

Apparently, the Minister now intends to organize elections in the style of the single-party era, elections resembling those of a Ba’ath-style system.

Minister!

The responsibility of the Ministry of Justice is not to engage in politics to ensure the reelection of any particular candidate. The responsibility of the Minister of Justice is to:

• Ensure that elections are fair,
• Defend the supremacy of law,
• Protect judicial independence,
• Guarantee equality before the law for every citizen.

When a Minister of Justice describes the purpose or outcome of an election in terms of a specific candidate, this naturally raises questions about the impartiality of elections. Therefore, our direct appeal to the President is this:

• The Ministry of Justice cannot become part of a political campaign.
• Elections in Türkiye are held not to reelect one person, but to express the will of the people.
• The legitimacy of an election is not determined by the government.
• Nor is the legitimacy of an election granted by any outside power.
• The legitimacy of an election comes from the Turkish people.
• The address of legitimacy is not the Presidential Palace, but Anatolia.

THE LIBERAL PARTY’S MESSAGE

Dear citizens,

Türkiye’s fundamental problem is not merely economic. Türkiye’s fundamental problems are:

• The weakening of institutions,
• The politicization of law,
• Ineffective oversight,
• The personalization of state power,
• Citizens’ inability to feel secure in their relationship with the state.

This is why we object to the mentality that says, “There is a crisis, but no problem.”

There is a problem!

A very serious problem.

But Türkiye also has a solution. The solution is:

• The rule of law.
• Freedom.
• Transparency.
• Accountability.
• Independent institutions.
• Free and fair elections.
• Protection of property rights.
• Freedom of expression.
• A government accountable to its citizens.

As the Liberal Party:

• We will not apply the law differently based on anyone’s property, freedom, labor or political views.
• We will not look at who the thief is; we will look at what the law says.
• The government’s duty is not to rule over citizens, but to protect citizens’ rights.
• We will pursue the recovery of the money belonging to victims of the fund crisis.
• We will pursue justice for those who have suffered unlawful treatment.
• We will pursue the rights of families of fallen soldiers.
• We will defend the dignity of our veterans.
• We will establish a system in which everyone in Türkiye is once again equal before the law.

Because there is one fundamental principle at the heart of our politics:

• Citizens will not surrender their freedoms so that the government can become stronger.
• Government power will be constrained by law so that citizens can remain free.

This is the new politics the Liberal Party proposes for Türkiye.

There is a crisis.

There is a problem.

But there is also a solution.

The solution is a democratic Türkiye rebuilt on freedom, the rule of law and strong institutions.

I greet you all with respect and affection.

Zübeyir Gülabi
Chairman of the Liberal Party