MHP leader slams the establishment of new political parties

ANKARA

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli on Dec. 17 slammed the recently announced political party establishment, dubbing the move as a “conspiration.”

“There is no vacuum in politics, and there is no reason for such a thing. The quest for new parties is a cheap order of the conspiracy inventors, rather than a political and societal need,” Bahçeli said in a written statement.

“Those who embrace the global politics approach as a guide will have no say in our country and no goal for the future,” he said.

The MHP leader’s remarks came after former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on Dec.13 announced the launch of his new political party, named the “Future Party.”

Davutoğlu resigned from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Sept. 13 after disciplinary action was launched against him and three other party dissidents.

Apart from Davutoğlu, former Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan is also known to carry out works for the establishment of a new political party.

During a televised interview on Nov. 26, Babacan announced that he and some former AKP members are preparing to establish a new political party, which is planned to actualize by the end of December. He announced his resignation from the AKP on July 8, citing “differences.”

In his statement, Bahçeli also slammed Meral Akşener, a former prominent figure from the MHP who established the İYİ (Good) Party, over her remarks on transferring deputies for the newly established parties for the next elections.

“The rental deputy season has been opened once again. This situation is an insult and disrespect towards our valued lawmaker friends, regardless of their parties or opinions,” Bahçeli said.

“Deputies are not commodities up for sale,” he added.

Akşener, with other dissidents from the MHP, established the İYİ Party and entered the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2018 with an alliance formed with the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Felicity Party.

Before the elections, 15 lawmakers from the CHP temporarily joined the İYİ Party in a bid to allow it to form a 20-deputy party group in parliament, constitutionally gaining the right to enter elections.

The AKP and the MHP, on the other hand, formed the People’s Alliance ahead of the June 24, 2018 elections, after their joint efforts to win the referendum to shift to a presidential system in 2017. The alliance was extended for the March 31 local elections.