All political parties must turn into ‘party of Türkiye’: MHP

The source of all parties active in Turkish politics is the Turkish people and its origin, Türkiye’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli said on Wednesday, underlining that thus all parties must be the “party of Türkiye.”

Bahçeli’s article in Türkgün newspaper touched upon the latest efforts to end terrorism and the street protests led by the main opposition.

“Efforts to achieve a terror-free Türkiye are continuing. Türkiye is working with national, political and social rigor to overcome an important threshold,” he said.

This process, in which the choices of either terrorism or democracy, weapons or politics will be revealed, also brings to the agenda how politics and political parties should be and what they should pay attention to in a Türkiye without weapons and terror, Bahçeli elaborated.

His words come after PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan last month called on his group to lay down arms and dissolve in what would mark the end of more than four decades of the PKK’s campaign of terrorism targeting Türkiye.

The terror-free Türkiye initiative was launched last year by Bahçeli. The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) was a messenger for Öcalan in talks to realize the initiative. The PKK is expected to hold a “congress” this spring to announce its full compliance with Öcalan’s call.

However, the terrorist group has set conditions, including Öcalan’s release.

Ankara has so far rejected the demands, including the unilateral cease-fire announced by the group.

“Imralı’s (Öcalan) statement calling on the group (PKK) to lay down its arms without any demands for a separate state, federation, autonomy of any kind or culturalist demands was an important step toward the start of a new process in Türkiye,” Bahçeli underlined.

Party of Türkiye

Bahçeli continued to say that although being a party of Türkiye is legally ensured by being established in accordance with the Political Parties Law, the fundamental motivation underlying the conceptualization of the “party of Türkiye” is the commitment to the nation, its common history and culture, and vision of the future.

He said that thus all parties must get rid of arms and violence while engaging in politics on a democratic legitimacy base.

“It is a basic requirement for democratic legitimacy that a party or government be supported by the free will of the people, without being overshadowed by armed elements, and engage in politics without using violence. If a political movement is based solely on a specific ethnic or regional identity and is widely perceived to be associated with violence, it will be difficult for it to gain broad social support,” Bahçeli added. “Undoubtedly, parties should develop policies targeting all segments of society in Türkiye.”