Bahçeli calls for overhaul of party, election systems

ANKARA

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has called for changes to Türkiye’s political party and electoral systems, saying they should be redesigned to promote political stability and democratic development.

“Going forward, political parties and the electoral system also need to be reorganized with an understanding that is in line with the spirit of the system and based on political stability and democratic development,” Bahçeli told daily Türkgün in remarks published on Aug. 19.

Türkiye switched from a parliamentary system to a presidential model following a constitutional referendum in April 2017.

Bahçeli also commented on the recent legal dispute regarding the Republican People’s Party (CHP) following a court ruling challenging its leadership election. On July 24, then CHP leader Özgür Özel left the organization along with 90 lawmakers to found the New Party.

The MHP leader also criticized the New Party’s approach to legislation related to the government’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative.

Özel and the party leadership voted in favor of the framework legislation in parliament while allowing lawmakers to vote according to their own preferences.

Bahçeli said the decision showed that the New Party had yet to establish the strong institutional political position he expected.

“The inability to establish a common will at the party-institutional level based on a principle, a determined stance and a will to resolve one of Türkiye’s most important issues... shows that the strong political institutionalization we desire has not yet been achieved,” he said.

He also addressed the anti-terror process, saying, “Our fundamental desire and goal is for Türkiye to resolve its terrorism issue through its national will, with its internal front strengthened and its national unity, political stability and economic stability secured.”