Bahçeli's message is the government's anxiety

Oncu DURMUŞ

Following the palace regime's appointment of a trustee to the CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairmanship, all eyes turned to the congress case on September 15th. While various scenarios were being written to counter the congress's cancellation, statements by MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli , whose interview was published yesterday in the pro-government Sabah newspaper, attracted attention.

Bahçeli delivered messages both within the regime and abroad. While assigning roles with his statements, Bahçeli also pledged his loyalty to the new design implemented by imperialists in the Middle East .

The country crossed the threshold between the two statements.

Bahçeli, who made a written statement on May 23, 2025, regarding AKP President Tayyip Erdoğan’s statement, “I have no intention of running for office,” following a visit to Hungary, repeated similar warnings to his partner almost four months later.

In a statement at the time, Bahçeli emphasized the importance of Erdoğan continuing in office given the country's current economic recovery and current conditions. He stated that they would do everything in their power to institutionalize the regime, adding, "The President has no right to deviate from his path. Furthermore, this situation is incompatible with the current circumstances, neither with the country nor with regional and global developments. Our President has much more to offer. Rewinding history is irrational."

Bahçeli, who made similar warnings in his statements yesterday, said that AKP President Tayyip Erdoğan should continue in his duty in 2028, and added, "If he considers running for president again, we will give our full support as the MHP."

Between these two statements , the country's turmoil never calmed. The latest round of arrests, including mayors, trustees appointed to municipalities, and detentions and arrests, was the trustee appointed to the provincial chairmanship of an opposition party.

Throughout this entire period, the "resolution process," which began with Bahçeli's intervention in the Democratic Party (DEM) ranks, remained virtually unnoticed. The parliamentary commission, expected to legitimize the process for the regime, failed to fulfill its intended purpose. Political parties, chambers of commerce, and capital groups were heard one by one by the commission, but the process failed to become a part of society.

In fact, contrary to all this, citizens took to the streets in the face of each wave of operations. Broad segments of society repeatedly declared loudly that they would fight against this regime.

In addition to these developments, things in the Middle East have not progressed as the regime desired. Finally, rising tensions between the SDF and HTS have led to rumors of an "operation signal" from Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and later Bahçeli.

It is almost impossible to understand Bahçeli's statements without looking at everything that is happening in the country.

THE RELATIONSHIP OF NEED WITH ERDOĞAN

Above all, Bahçeli, a partner in the People's Alliance , is one of the primary implementers of the US design in the region. His role in the country's recent history makes it clear that he is a figure deeply connected to imperialism.

Therefore, paving the way for an Erdoğan presidency is precisely the kind of option Bahçeli can't afford to abandon for this imperialist scheme. It's clear that as long as the system functions, Bahçeli won't be able to withdraw his support from Erdoğan. Moreover, considering his power in areas like the judiciary and the police, his power is quite substantial.

The underlying message of today's support for Erdoğan is more of a reminder. The words he mentioned in his emphasis on the peace process, "Peace is not a one-winged bird. To fly peace, it needs a second wing," also serve as a message about Erdoğan's responsibilities.

Bahçeli, emphasizing Öcalan, issued a statement of determination regarding the roadmap, which was shaped by US and Israeli policies. He said, “Wherever the PKK and its affiliated components exist, they must submit to Öcalan, respect him, and act in accordance with his instructions. Taking a separate lead would be considered falling under the control of certain circles other than Öcalan. In this case, we will maintain our determination to implement the decisions made by Öcalan.”

LET THE POLITICAL CRISIS NOT GROW, LET THE AGENDA REMAIN ON THE SOLUTION

Bahçeli, who stated that indictments regarding the investigations into imprisoned presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu and other mayors should be prepared as soon as possible, also offered a different perspective when he responded to the CHP congress by saying, "Provincial congresses, provincial conventions, etc., complement each other. We've experienced this in the past. A separate party was formed from us. Others shouldn't try to steer the situation through external intervention."

Although it is not known exactly what Bahçeli means by external interventions, it may be a warning to the regime, which has presented the events so far as an internal CHP crisis, not to go that far for now.

As we mentioned at the outset, Bahçeli is ultimately a direct implementer of US policies. Another difference from Erdoğan is that he doesn't currently need to eliminate the opposition entirely. When the regime's future is at stake, he won't hesitate to do so, but at this stage, it might be more appealing for Bahçeli to focus on solutions and the region rather than exacerbate the political and economic crisis.

Bahçeli's demand that Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer, who is currently in custody, and Ahmet Türk, who was replaced by a trustee, be reinstated can be interpreted as an indication of this.

The emphasis on the region and solutions in the message given along with support for Erdoğan may also have a meaningful place within the regime.

STILL THE PEOPLE WILL DECIDE

In short, all of this is currently a priority within the People's Alliance. It's worth reiterating that the two partners, along with the imperialists they rely on, are generally continuing their path toward rebuilding the regime without any setbacks.

The real determining factor will be the struggle of the people who are raising their objections to the political Islamist regime. Bahçeli, who has targeted street politics and declared, "If it were up to me, I would shut down social media in half an hour," is concerned about the potential for the people to disrupt these plans.