Leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), part of the ruling bloc in Turkey, targeted Greece and called for a military campaign to further occupy parts of Syria in his parliamentary group speech on Tuesday.
He said Greece was involved in provocations in the Aegean and Mediterranean against Turkey, and was ‘playing with fire’.
Although Turkey is formally an ally of the United States and hosts US forces itself, Bahçeli stated that US military presence in Greece was a security threat for Turkey.
“The nine military bases established by the United States in Greece constitute a threat against our national identity,” he said.
“Ramping up the arms race heralds a catastrophe for the Athens administration. The administration of Mitsotakis have not drawn lessons from his Vandal ancestors who were swept out to the sea. This is the current situation we’re faced with. It looks like this oblivious mentality has been longing for those depths of the sea.”
Bahçeli also claimed that there were ‘terrorist threats’ on territories under Turkish occupation in Syria, and the places that these threat origined from were legitimate targets for the Turkish military.
“The centre of the attacks against Idlib, Mare, Azaz, Jarabulus and Afrin is currently Tall Rifat. The places that the threats originate from, where the terrorists reinforce and provide for their savage attacks, are legitimate targets. The murderers should be wiped out, and Tall Rifat and Manbij should be urgently liberated.”
Bahçeli stepped up into further agitation, calling upon the Turkish troops, widely referred to as ‘Mehmetçik’, to take action. Yelling out, he said:
“Strike, my Mehmet, strike in the name of justice, in the name of God and nation, for the cries of the oppressed!”