Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, back in office after a two-month medical leave, slammed main opposition CHP leader Özgür Özel’s “junta” comments, accusing the CHP of embodying junta politics while rejecting calls for early elections.
“Everybody knows that junta means CHP,” Bahçeli said in a statement on Monday, as he condemned Özel’s “hate-filled” remarks.
Özel referred to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a “junta leader” at the recent convention of his party.
Bahçeli described the remark as a sign of “political and moral collapse,” accusing Özel of harboring anti-democratic aspirations and disrespecting the national will.
“This is not just slander – it is the outcry of a miserable figure yearning for undemocratic periods and unable to tolerate the clarity of truth and the will of the people,” Bahçeli said.
Recalling Türkiye’s troubled history with military coups, Bahçeli claimed the concept of a junta aligns more closely with the CHP’s past.
“The word ‘junta’ finds its true reflection in CHP’s political history and structure,” he said.
Bahçeli also warned that any attempt to question Erdoğan’s legitimacy or to accuse him of coup-like governance amounts to “a veiled call for a coup.”
Referring to the failed July 15, 2016 coup attempt, the MHP leader emphasized that the Turkish nation had “closed the book on coups with its blood.” He cautioned that any future moves against the will of the people – especially if spurred by CHP – would face strong resistance.
“The Turkish nation will never allow shackles on its will or tolerate internal attempts to undermine its unity,” he said, urging those in opposition to respect democracy and the rule of law.
Bahçeli also dismissed ongoing calls for snap elections, stating that Erdoğan and the Presidential Cabinet remain firmly in office with the full support of the people. He reaffirmed the People’s Alliance’s commitment to holding elections on schedule and pursuing the “Century of Türkiye” vision.
“In a time when the nation advances steadily toward a terror-free Türkiye, every word spoken must be chosen with care,” Bahçeli added, warning that there would be no tolerance for those seeking to divide the nation during a period of global and regional turmoil.
Bahçeli said the CHP had “declared economic war” against the nation by targeting local and national capital, and described its actions as “hostile attacks on livelihoods, sustenance, and lawful income.”
He also condemned recent boycott and protest calls made by Özel and his party, asserting that these efforts aim to destabilize Türkiye for political gain. “The CHP’s calls for boycotts and street protests have revealed the extent to which the party is willing to set the country and its people on fire for political ambition,” Bahçeli said.
He argued that the CHP’s campaign to halt consumption under the pretext of protest has accelerated the party’s “political, intellectual, and moral collapse.”
Bahçeli also highlighted growing internal rivalries and power struggles within the opposition, noting tensions between key political figures and factions stretching from Saraçhane to Söğütözü and Silivri. He warned that these disputes have reached a point that threatens Türkiye’s national unity and societal peace.
“CHP has become the spokesperson for illegal marginal groups and a guardian of anti-Türkiye elements,” Bahçeli said, adding that the party’s leadership had clearly positioned itself against the country’s interests.