Today (November 19) Nationalist Action Party (MHP) chairman Devlet Bahçeli, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s main coalition partner, made a statement refuting rumors of a schism within the ruling alliance.
In his statement today at the Turkish Parliament, Bahçeli said “The notion of a rift or schism between myself and Mr. Erdoğan is out of the question.” Echoing remarks last week, Bahçeli scolded those alleging a split in the ruling coalition.
For several weeks, rumors of a rift in the alliance have circulated after Bahçeli made a statement in late October expressing openness to the release of imprisoned Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan. The statement came as a surprise given that Bahçeli, long a sworn enemy of the PKK, had previously called for Öcalan’s execution.
Several weeks after Bahçeli’s statement, however, Kurdish mayors in three southwestern provinces were removed and replaced by ‘trustee’ appointees from President Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP).
The removal of these mayors, all members of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party,.was hailed by many as the return of the ‘trustee’ system.
Following Turkey’s local elections in 2019, dozens of pro-Kurdish politicians.in the country’s southeast were deposed on alleged terrorism charges and replaced by AKP appointees.
The sequence of events led to speculation that Bahçeli and Erdoğan.may not be like-minded regarding a new ‘Kurdish opening’ process given the seemingly.contradictory actions and statements.
The new ‘Kurdish opening’
The ‘Kurdish opening’ refers to a potential reboot of a peace process that occurred primarily.between 2013 and 2015, which aimed to resolve the long-running conflict between Turkey.and the PKK, a Kurdish militant organization active in the country’s southeast since the 1980s.
Last week, a journalist at the Turkish Parliament asked Bahçeli.whether there was a rift forming in the ruling bloc to.which he angrily replied:.“Let me tell my friends in the media to avoid provoking.Turkey with divisive, misleading questions. Otherwise, I’d recommend that you find yourself a new career.”
By Leo Kendrick
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