Turkey’s Erdoğan assures continuation of ruling People’s Alliance

Duvar English

Turkey’s President, and Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on June 17 assured the continuation of the ruling People’s Alliance following the debates on its future.

In a video message, Erdoğan celebrated the Eid Al-Adha of the AKP organizations. 

Erdoğan said there were some people who wanted to “damage” the ruling People's Alliance they had established with the MHP.

“The People's Alliance is the guarantee of the unity, solidarity and fraternity of 85 million people. The stronger our alliance is, the safer Turkey will be. We will not allow our party and our alliance to be damaged. We will carry out our struggle by further tightening our ranks and strengthening our solidarity. I trust you, my colleagues,” Erdoğan added.

Erdoğan also accused the opposition of having a “destructive and provocative language.”

“We believe that Turkey must quickly leave behind the tense atmosphere created by the elections and focus on the future. We must prevent politics from being perceived as an ongoing war of attrition between parties. For this, it is imperative for the opposition to quickly abandon the understanding of politics with unfair accusations, and slanders that do not fit into political courtesy. It is the right time for the opposition to adopt a different style, a constructive, positive, and unifying attitude instead of a destructive and provocative language,” he argued. 

Erdoğan’s remarks regarding the People’s Alliance came after the recent alliance debates regarding the AKP, MHP, and CHP.

One day after Erdoğan visited the CHP headquarters and met with Ayşe Ateş, the wife of the former Grey Wolves head Sinan Ateş who was assassinated in 2022, government-ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli said on June 12 that it was MHP’s “sincerest wish” that a broad-based alliance between the AKP and the CHP is formed.

Responding to Bahçeli, Özel said, “Let me make an invitation to Mr. Bahçeli. If he is unsatisfied with his alliance, he can join our alliance. The name of our alliance is Turkey Alliance. No one should propose any alliance to us because those responsible for today will bear this responsibility. (Bahçeli) should not push his accomplice toward us after bringing the country to this point.”

Commenting on these remarks, Erdoğan on June 15 said Bahçeli made a statement “with a statesman's approach, calmly, without giving any opportunity for any discussion.” Erdoğan argued that Özel “couldn’t stomach” his return visit to the CHP headquarters.

Some MHP and Grey Wolves members were reportedly involved in the assassination of Sinan Ateş whereas Bahçeli denies the allegations.