MHP objects to ‘Republic rally’ plans

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli yesterday joined the ongoing debate over a rally set to be held by civil society organizations on Oct. 29, Republic Day, saying that it would contribute to disintegration among society.

Bahçeli’s remarks came as he met party executives, deputies and party members at MHP headquarters for an Eid al-Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice, greeting.

The moves to hold the rally could lead Turkey into a further crisis, Bahçeli said, implicitly criticizing the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) for supporting the rally.

“Contributing to Turkey’s disintegration in every field by putting forward alternatives is not being Republican, it is not nationalism or patriotism, and it doesn’t mean being democratic and free either,” he said. Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy Chair Mehmet Ali Şahin, meanwhile, also criticized CHP for supporting the rally, which he said would encourage division in society. “I hope that our friends from the CHP will give up such attempts at disintegration ... I believe that it would be a big mistake, as our religious holidays and national holidays should only serve to unite us,” he said on Oct. 26.