MHP extends internal shake-up with Adana overhaul

ANKARA

The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) on June 11 dissolved its local organization in the southern city of Adana and appointed a new chair, extending a sweeping internal restructuring campaign that has reached 21 provinces since early April.

The restructuring process began shortly after the resignation of MHP deputy leader İzzet Ulvi Yönter on March 27.

Before stepping down, he had shared a series of social media posts warning of alleged internal infiltration and vowing accountability. Some of those posts were reposted by senior party figures, including Yalçın and then-Istanbul provincial chair Sertel Selim, before later being removed.

MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli said on March 28 that Yönter had requested permission to focus on academic work and continue his doctoral studies.

No official explanation has been given for the subsequent dismissals and appointments across provincial organizations.

The first major move came on April 6, when the MHP dissolved its Istanbul organizations and appointed Volkan Yılmaz as the new provincial head. The restructuring later expanded to other provinces including Kars, Kütahya, Eskişehir, Çanakkale, Bilecik, Muğla, Bolu, Ardahan, Gaziantep, Bingöl, Malatya, Isparta, Şanlıurfa, Konya, Kilis, Kırıkkale, Zonguldak, Kocaeli and Manisa.

The process also extended to the party-affiliated Grey Wolves movement, where the local leader in Kütahya resigned and a replacement was appointed.

Separately, deputy leader Semih Yalçın announced on May 1 that preparations had begun for the MHP’s 15th ordinary convention. In a written statement, he said district and provincial congresses would start on May 7 and culminate in the party convention scheduled for March 7, 2027.