Devlet Bahçeli, leader of Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), renewed his call for imprisoned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan to disband the organisation, urging him to make this statement publicly in Turkey’s parliament. “If Öcalan declares the disbandment of the organisation, he should come to the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party Group in the parliament,” Bahçeli stated in a party meeting, emphasising his commitment to this proposal.
Bahçeli defended the recent government decision to replace the elected mayors from the DEM Party with state-appointed trustees, or kayyums, in municipalities across Turkey’s Kurdish regions. He attributed the move to alleged ties between the party’s officials and the PKK. “Those temporarily removed from office should patiently await the legal process,” he added, arguing that the action reinforces Turkey’s “rule of law” and national unity.
Highlighting his long-standing view that the Kurdish question “does not exist”, Bahçeli condemned calls for recognition of Kurdish political concerns as “plots by foreign powers”. He characterised discussions on Kurdish identity and rights as efforts to divide Turkey. “The so-called Kurdish question is a trap set by imperialist forces,” Bahçeli insisted, claiming it serves to mask the “bloody actions of separatist terrorism”.
Bahçeli also mentioned veteran Kurdish politician Mardin Co-Mayor Ahmet Türk, who was dismissed from office, noting his advanced age and health issues, and claimed that the Republican People’s Party (CHP) was exploiting Türk as part of a “foreign-backed” campaign aimed at disrupting the atmosphere of “brotherhood”.
“Especially with Mr Ahmet Türk, who is elderly, with serious health issues, and from a prominent family, the exploitation is clear. This scheme, led by the CHP, aims to drive a wedge between İmralı [the prison where PKK leader Öcalan is detained] and the DEM Party,” Bahçeli stated, attributing heightened tensions to the opposition’s role.
Bahçeli’s remarks have sparked questions due to apparent contradictions. While denying the existence of a Kurdish question, he urged measures to preserve “a thousand-year-old brotherhood” among Turkey’s people, calling for “embracing actions for the nation’s stability”.
Furthermore, the MHP leader’s endorsement of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s re-election reaffirmed a commitment to the ruling alliance, while his criticism of opposition parties highlighted alleged alliances with the PKK, stating, “CHP’s provocations serve to destabilise the climate of national solidarity.”
