News & Comment
How to Read the Turbulences within the MHP

News

The MHP (Nationalist Movement Party) appealed to the 12th Civil Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals against a local court ruling for appointment of a three-member panel to organize an extraordinary congress. MHP Head Bahçeli said, "We don’t have a party that will be surrendered to the parallel structure,” at a parliamentary group meeting of his party, using the Turkish government’s term to refer to sympathizers of U.S. based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. (Source: Agencies)

Comment

Following the common meeting of the Party's central executive committee (MYK) and its provincial leaders, MHP chairman Bahçeli made a written statement. He explained that all aspects of the perceptional and political operations targeting the MHP were discussed at the meeting, and that all future strategies have been evaluated in detail, stating that a group, who hides behind an undermined perception of jurisprudence and jurists robbed of their willpower, is seeking to damage the party's fundamental and historical dynamics. And he continued, "Those unaware persons, who hope for help from Transocean plans, who pin their hope upon those who rented out their conscience, thus thinking to achieve their goal of taking possession and control over MHP, will see, without doubt, that they are wrong. Those known circles who want to utilize the MHP for their dirty ambitions, are counting on realizing their cruel purpose through a group they collected from among us."

MHP chairman Devlet Bahçeli was elected to the party's leadership after an eventful congress following the then chairman Alparslan Türkeş's death, in 1997. Alparslan Türkeş was known for his nationalist pro-English politics. Bahçeli in contrary is generally pursuing an American policy. Both, the policy he pursued and the support he gave the AKP during its hard times, are prove of this.

Some of these supports are: On November 3, 2002; he broke the coalition government, in spite being a coalition partner, and thus initiated early elections, which opened the AKP the path to single power. He supported the AKP in its efforts to remove the headscarf ban. Also in 2007, he provided Abdullah Gul the needed support to become elected to President. Accordingly, whenever the AKP came into political trouble, Bahçeli provided the necessary support. Moreover, when the AKP failed to come to power alone in the June 7 elections, Bahçeli brought early elections on the agenda the same day and thus opened the AKP's way. Thereupon an annoyed nationalist-pro-English group within the party, took action against Bahçeli under the pretext of MHP's failure at the November 1, 2015 elections. Opponent names like, Sinan Oğan, Koray Aydın and Ümit Özdağ, are those in the fore-front with their nationalist-pro-English identities. Another oppositional name is Meral Akşener, who stands out with her pro-American rhetoric. Although Meral Akşener seems to act together with the other nationalist personalities, she in fact stands there as a project to avoid the MHP's takeover through the nationalists, and although there seems to be some trouble between her and Bahçeli, the events between those two are nothing more than a theatre. In parallel with this, the AKP is need of Devlet Bahçeli's support in order to pass the referendum for the new constitution and the presidential system. Because at the moment, the AKP has not the necessary majority to demand a referendum for both the constitution and the presidential system.

Therefore, it needs Devlet Bahçeli's support in this issue. This is the reason why the nationalist-pro-English want to remove Bahçeli from the party. Alongside all of these, the resignation of former MHP-man Mansur Yavaş from CHP-membership is striking. It is most probable that Mansur Yavaş returns to the MHP and runs for the post of the chairman against the nationalist candidates. Mansur Yavaş stands out with his pro-American rhetoric. If there should be such a development, then it seems difficult for the nationalist group to gain control over the party. Of course the future will reveal a clearer painting.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir
YILMAZ ÇELİK