MHP leader Bahçeli once again calls for closure of HDP

Duvar English

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ally and the leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Devlet Bahçeli on Nov. 15 called for the closure of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).

“As in every neighborhood, we do not want a separatist group in the Parliament. We cannot stand to see terrorists. We cannot tolerate for a second that the HDP, which recruits personnel for the terrorist organization and turns our borders into a chaos with so-called Kurdistan propaganda, takes part in political life. HDP is the twin brother of (main opposition) CHP,” Bahçeli said during his party’s parliamentary group meeting.

On Nov. 2, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ and AKP group deputy chair Mustafa Elitaş visited opposition parties at the parliament to discuss the new constitutional amendment that the ruling AKP is preparing on headscarf and family issues. Among the parties they visited was also the HDP, which AKP and MHP are trying to portray as the “leg of terrorism.” 

Following the visit, Bahçeli on Nov. 8 said that “Negotiating with the HDP for a constitutional amendment is extremely natural and the right step.”

CHP deputy Ali Mahir Başarır criticized this change in Bahçeli’s rhetoric, saying “Bahçeli changed his mind this week. There are only 7 days between the two speeches! Here is stability, here is consistency."

The HDP also faces a possible closure decision by the Constitutional Court (AYM) as a result of the pending case.

Speaking about the bombing that took place in Istanbul’s Istiklal Avenue on Nov. 13, killing six people, Bahçeli said “From the CHP to HDP, which oppose and object to the bills that authorize and allow cross-border operations, they are responsible before the nation.”

“We know and see that the source of terrorism is not in the neighboring areas of our borders, but in the capitals of foreign countries, especially Washington,” he further said.

“The Istiklal bombing is a response to Turkey's successful diplomacy between Russia and Ukraine. It is an attack to slow down Turkey, which is a regional power and a global actor, and to strike a blow to its future and stability. This attack, just like the Gezi Park protests, is a scheme and attempt to prevent Turkey, which is growing and getting stronger, with terrorist apparatuses, to put it back, and to cast doubt on its independence,” he added.