Anyone but PM Erdoğan can become president, regardless of affiliation: MHP leader

ANKARA

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli addresses his party in a group meeting, April 8. AA Photo

Turkey’s future president could be someone from any political party but Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli said April 8.

“Someone who blocks Twitter, shuts down YouTube, chops off individual rights and freedoms, takes bribers and thieves under his wings and amasses piles of dollars in villas cannot become president,” Bahçeli said during his party’s parliamentary group meeting.

Bahçeli also criticized the government’s attempts for the current peace process and the possible autonomy of the Kurdish regions.

”There will not be a president who rejects Turkishness, erases the Turkish Republic’s initials [from the names of institutions], and tramples on nationalism … Anyone born in this country can become a president, regardless of his political views, ideology, confession or affiliation to the AKP [Justice and Development Party], MHP or CHP [Republican People’s Party], but not Erdoğan. The people’s scale will not sustain this weight,” he said.  

‘Gov’t may sue parallel cats’

Bahçeli also mocked the fact the energy minister blamed cats for almost simultaneous election day blackouts across the country during the vote count amid a number of fraud claims at the polls.

“The fraud rumors coming from the ballot boxes are still being debated. But that a minister accuses cats for the power blackouts is an insult to the intelligence of the nation. Suing cats is probably on the agenda,” Bahçeli said, before warning in his diatribe that extra-terrestrials might also take their share of blame.

“Fortunately, wild animals have not drunk and consumed all the waters in the reservoirs and birds did not gnaw on electric wires. The situation was salvaged by accusing parallel cats alone. Nobody should be surprised if the AKP government blames extra-terrestrial beings for the rumors at the polls,” he added.

Bahçeli also said that he considered the MHP as the real winner of the elections as the party which has increased the most of its votes when compared to the 2011 general elections.