Turkish far-right leader rebukes quake-hit citizens in tent camp: ‘There will be silence’

MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli has rebuked earthquake-hit citizens living in a tent camp in southeastern Kahramanmaraş’s Elbistan following their calls on the authorities to turn the district into a province. “On such a painful day, you do not have the right to sabotage the visit of our President and other officials with such slogans. There will be silence. Disperse, get them down,” Bahçeli is heard saying in the video that went viral on social media.

Wednesday March 01 2023 12:05 am

Duvar English

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has rebuked citizens in the southeastern Kahramanmaraş’s Elbistan district, the epicenter of the second major earthquake that hit the region on Feb. 6.

The incident happened as Bahçeli was visiting a tent camp set by up the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) in the district.

The video shows several earthquake-hit citizens shouting a slogan demanding that the district Elbistan be turned into a province. In return, Bahçeli reprimands the citizens, saying: “On such a painful day, you do not have the right to sabotage the visit of our President and other officials with such slogans. There will be silence. Disperse, get them down.”

Bahçeli was in the district together with Erdoğan, before heading to the Afşin district and then to the Malatya province.

As Bahçeli leaves the premise, a citizen shows his reaction by saying: “Mr. Devlet, we have done everything for our President in 2009. The country is over. People have collapsed, are collapsing. We are striving. But otherwise, we love our country.”

Just seconds later, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Group Deputy Chair Mahir Ünal appear at the scene, trying to calm the citizens. “Please do not do this. I am your deputy. Please, do not do this to Elbistan,” Ünal says, to be once again faced with the slogan of “Let Elbistan be a province” by the earthquake-hit victims.