MHP accuses gov’t, Erdoğan of ‘treason’ over Kurdish peace process

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Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has accused the government and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of “treason” and “treachery,” after they announced a new phase in the Kurdish peace process with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).

“The treasonous, malicious, disgraceful partnership of the [Justice and Development Party] AKP with the [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] PKK has been completely unveiled ... The AKP, along with the PKK, conducted a treacherous show-off in front of the cameras,” Bahçeli said at a press conference on March 1.

Using very strong language to slam the deal announced with the HDP at Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace, he argued that “the road map of the division [of Turkey] was proudly introduced in the world’s largest Turkish city.”

The 10-article announcement, issued by the HDP but written by imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, is “homework imposed by a criminal responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Turkish people,” Bahçeli added.

“In Dolmabahçe, Turkey bowed its head. The Turkish people cannot accept and will not accept this as normal,” he said. 

Claiming that the move meant that the PKK was now the “partner” of the AKP, Bahçeli accused President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu of “losing their national bonds,” saying Saturday’s statement was a clear confession that the government had met the PKK’s request in every aspect.

“What kind of thing is this? What kind of person, what kind of president is he? These statements are nothing but a confirmation that the president is committing the crime of treason,” he said.

Despite promises given in March 2013, the PKK had neither dropped its weapons nor withdrawn from Turkey, the MHP leader said, arguing that it would only disarm if the government grants it territory inside Turkey.

“If the AKP and HDP aren’t buried in the ballot box, Turkey itself will be buried. If the AKP and PKK aren’t defeated, the Republic of Turkey will be defeated. The deconstruction is very near, the danger is very close,” Bahçeli said on the eve of the June 7 elections.