Turkish gov't ally attempts to join Turkey-France war of words but forgets words

Leader of ruling People's Alliance member Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahçeli, babbled during his weekly speech at the party's group meeting as he forgot the word "cake." The chairman accused opposition parties of preparing to eat cake in Paris once he managed to speak again, possibly a reference to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's row with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Duvar English

Leader of ruling People's Alliance member Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahçeli, appeared to be lost for words during his speech at the weekly MHP group meeting as he tried to reference the infamous quote by 18th century French ruler Marie Antoinette that the people should "eat cake if they don't have bread."

During the Oct. 27 group meeting, Bahçeli was ranting about the failure of Turkey's opposition parties when he appeared to want to reference the French ruler and started a sentence with the words "in Paris."

"In Paris," Bahçeli said before a long pause where he seems to be lost for words.

"They are preparing to eat the [incomprehensible], they are preparing to eat the thing," Bahçeli babbled before deputies in the room shouted out the word for "cake" to help him out.

"They are preparing to eat cake in the streets of Paris," the chairman finally said in reference to opposition parties.

The accusation of eating cake in Paris is a two-way reference to both President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's recent row with French President Emmanual Macron, and to his words to a worker complaining of poverty to "enjoy a nice cup of tea if they can't bring home bread."

Erdoğan evoked French ruler Marie Antoinette with his recommendation to a worker complaining of poverty on Oct. 26, as he said that the worker's plea of not being able to put bread on the table was a "huge exaggeration."

"I'm not used to cake, that's why I can't pronounce it," the MHP leader added after managing to form a full sentence.

Erdoğan tells workers to 'enjoy nice cup of tea' if they 'can't bring home bread'Erdoğan tells workers to 'enjoy nice cup of tea' if they 'can't bring home bread'

Bahçeli threatens opposition parties

The MHP leader also threatened the opposition parties, saying that "they'll see what's what" if they go out to the streets, in an apparent response to a column penned by Necdet Saraç on Oct. 15.

"Let them take to the streets, and they'll see what's what," Bahçeli said.

According to the MHP leader, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Kurdish issue-focused Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), right-wing Good (İYİ) Party are "all the same."

"The Turkish Republic won't be left to the hands of street punks," he said.

Topics HDP MHP President Erdoğan Peoples Democratic Party President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Devlet Bahçeli Opposition parties in Turkey MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli Nationalist Movement Party Emmanuel Macron French President Emmanuel Macron