Bahçeli says 'no disagreement' with Erdoğan

ANKARA

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has dismissed speculation about a rift with his alliance partner, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

“The seditious ones who question the deep and unconditional bond and the moral, sincere and friendly dialogue between our president and us… are getting really out of control,” Bahçeli told his party's MPs in a parliamentary speech on Nov. 19.

Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party (AKP)-led ruling People’s Alliance is in “harmony with the love of the homeland and the nation," he said.

“Our breath is not short and interrupted like others. Our will is not seized and our politics is not held hostage like others,” Bahçeli stated.

"There can be no question of taking the slightest step back against the fools, parasites and shameless people who think they can play games with Türkiye."

The MHP leader strongly denied any disunity between him and Erdoğan. "To give credence to those who are waiting for an opportunity to divide our nation, those who lie in wait to cause mischief, liars, plunderers and local agents of foreign powers would mean denying ourselves," he added

Last week, Erdoğan reportedly told AKP officials that he reached a "full agreement" with Bahçeli on a range of issues during their meeting held on Nov. 14.

The president shared details of the meeting with his party's top members during a session on Nov. 15, daily Hürriyet reported.

"We talked about all the issues with Mr. Devlet... we put all the issues on the table. We reached very good agreements on domestic and foreign policy. We have full agreement," Erdoğan was quoted as saying.

Their discussion followed Bahçeli's contentious remarks about jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.

In a parliamentary address on Oct. 21, Bahçeli said Öcalan could attend a parliamentary session of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party to "declare the end of terrorism."

Erdoğan later described the proposal as a historic opportunity.

During his Nov. 19 speech, Bahçeli also denied speculation that his comments were made without Erdoğan's knowledge.