Corruption is like cancer: MHP leader

İZMİR

MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli (R) is kissed by an 11-year-old boy with mental disability in western province of İzmir. Bahçeli slammed corruption in his rally. AA photo

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli on March 3 likened corruption and graft to cancer, saying they would penetrate all segments of society if they were not “removed,” speaking at a rally in İzmir’s Kiraz district.

“Bribery and corruption are the cancer of society. They have to be cured and removed, otherwise if they become permanent, they will penetrate all of the segments of society. Society will be rotten and the state collapses in such a situation,” Bahçeli told the crowd in Kiraz yesterday. He called on people to warn the government about this in the March 30 local elections with their votes, Cihan news agency reported.

In the meantime, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a rally in the central Anatolian province of Niğde, Anadolu Agency reported.

Erdoğan warned voters ahead of the March 30 local elections not to be swayed by an opposition bent on provocation, clashes and intrigue.

He said more than 7,000 people, including political figures, the head of the military, the president, journalists, artists and businesspeople had been illegally wiretapped and blackmailed.

Erdoğan renewed his call on Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen to return to Turkey, “rather than focusing on Turkish politics from America.”

Denying the corruption allegations and making reference to the development that Turkey underwent during the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) rule, Erdoğan said: “You will vote for the New Turkey.”