Nationalist party leader slams democratization package with massive chant of student's oath

ISTANBUL

Supporters of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) wait for the arrival of party leader Devlet Bahçeli during a rally in Istanbul Oct. 5. REUTERS photo

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli slammed the government's democratization package announced earlier this week, during a massive party rally in Istanbul on Oct. 5.

On an afternoon when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was hitting out at the MHP's form of nationalism in Adana, Bahçeli said the "Turkish people will claim their oath."

"According to the prime minister and its government, our oath is a reflection of fascism. [They say] it is filled with militarist expressions. I am addressing the prime minister and his team of tyrants. Whatever you think, the Turkish people will protect their oath," Bahçeli said, once again accusing the government of being dictated to by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

"Be the servants of Kandil [the military headquarters of the PKK] if you want, or swallow the negotiations opium from the murderer of İmralı [in reference to the jailed PKK leader]. The power of the nationalist movement will be enough for everything together," he said, before engaging in a collective chant of the students' oath with the hundreds who had gathered at the rally.

Bahçeli had previously slammed the reforms announced on Sept. 30 with strong language, claiming that "separatism has gained more ground with this package."