Tension has been observed in recent days between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ally, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli. The starting point of this tension was the announcement of the results of the presidential elections held in Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
While Erdoğan reacted with restraint to the victory of Tufan Erhürman, a supporter of federation in the elections, Bahçeli's reaction was much harsher.
Erdoğan immediately congratulated the new president of Northern Cyprus and sent a message indicating his openness to cooperation. Bahçeli, on the other hand, called the elections “a victory for the proponents of federation” and called on the TRNC parliament to make a decision regarding the island's annexation to Turkey.
Bahçeli's absence from both the visit to Anıtkabir and Erdoğan's official reception during the official ceremonies held on October 29 for Republic Day caused significant resonance in political circles.
Although initial speculations concerned his health, sources close to the MHP stated that this decision was politically motivated. Mehmet Müftüoğlu, editor-in-chief of the “Türkgün” newspaper, which is close to the party, shared a photo with Bahçeli and wrote that to understand the MHP leader, one must be able to read his messages. This post, in the opinion of many, was a warning directed at the AKP.
Political observers believe that the problem is not limited to the Cyprus issue.
The murder of Sinan Ateş, former head of “Ülkü Ocakları,” in 2022 and the arrest of MHP members in connection with this case created the first cracks in AKP-MHP relations. Erdoğan's reception of the deceased's wife, Ayşe Ateş, had caused serious dissatisfaction on Bahçeli's side.
Furthermore, some personnel changes made this year, particularly the removal of individuals close to the MHP from important positions, also caused dissatisfaction among nationalists.
Bahçeli's proposal of the “Turkey–Russia–China alliance” idea in September, and the timing of this statement just before Erdoğan's visit to New York for the UN General Assembly, also did not go unnoticed. Analysts evaluated this as a difference in foreign policy views between the two sides. Erdoğan tries to maintain balanced relations with the West, while Bahçeli advocates a more “Eurasian-oriented” line.
At the same time, Bahçeli's proposal that “Turkey should have two vice-presidents - one Kurd, one Alevi” also provoked a strong reaction in the ruling camp. Şamil Tayyar, a deputy from the ruling party, called this idea “a dangerous proposal leading to the Lebanese model.”
According to Modern.az, Bahçeli responded to the allegations at today's group meeting.
In his speech, Bahçeli stated that cooperation with the AK Party continues, along with the words “The People's Alliance is a flag, a homeland, a nation”: “We are the Nationalist Movement Party and the People's Alliance. This path will continue.”
Bahçeli also touched upon the discussions regarding his absence from the Republic Day ceremonies. He stated that it was due to personal reasons and that he did not want his action to be “understood as a protest.”
When journalists reminded the MHP leader of the European Court of Human Rights' decision regarding Selahattin Demirtaş, Bahçeli responded: “Legal avenues have yielded their result. His release will be beneficial for Turkey.”
Although Bahçeli's speech was evaluated as a message of “unbreakable alliance,” according to observers, certain disagreements between the AK Party and the MHP persist in recent times.
Nevertheless, Bahçeli's latest speech has somewhat lowered the political temperature. However, his “soft tone” regarding Demirtaş will be one of the main topics of discussion in Turkish politics in the coming days.
Elnur Amirov
