MHP reiterates polls will take place as slated in June 2023

ANKARA

The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has reiterated its loyalty to the People’s Alliance with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) as well as the executive-presidential system, its leader Devlet Bahçeli has said, underlining once again that the elections will take place as scheduled in June 2023.

“Turkey’s bright future is the presidential government system. The architect of it is the People’s Alliance. Early polls are not on the country’s agenda. The presidential and parliamentary polls will happen in June 2023,” Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Bahçeli said at a press conference at the closure of a two-day in-house meeting near Ankara over the weekend.

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu suggested that the polls may take place this fall as the government would not prefer to hold elections after the winter.

“Kılıçdaroğlu and like-minded chorus should better keep this in mind,” Bahçeli said.

The oppositional alliance, especially the CHP, has become the tool of anti-Turkey lobbies that seek to weaken and divide the country, he claimed, saying, “The CHP has turned its back to its own history. It has also parted ways with Atatürk and has politically rotten.”

Bahçeli has blamed the opposition alliance for looking into the eye of foreign powers, slamming Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Jeff Flake for holding a meeting.

Recalling that Flake submitted his credentials to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Jan. 26 and visited İmamoğlu only five days later, Bahçeli said, “This is a preference that needs to be questioned.” He also accused Flake of intervening in Turkish domestic politics.

MHP leader also criticized the Council of Europe, which formally launched the infringement procedure against Turkey for not releasing Osman Kavala despite the European Court of Human Rights ruling.

“The Council of Europe is breaching Turkey’s sovereign rights by this move. Law means the state. The Council of Europe is poisoning our justice system,” he said.