MHP leader Bahçeli calls on PM to reveal deal with Öcalan

OSMANİYE – Doğan News Agency

Devlet Bahçeli addresses the crowd at a rally in Osmaniye, March 26. AA photo

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli called on the prime minister to “make public” the agreement between the government and the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Abdullah Öcalan, speaking at a rally in Osmaniye on March 26.

“How will the cooperation between the [ruling Justice and Development Party] AKP and the PKK’s İmralı cruel [Öcalan] affect Turkey? You should first declare this to the public,” said Bahçeli, addressing Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at a rally in Osmaniye’s Kadirli district.

The government and Öcalan, currently serving a life sentence in İmralı Island prison, are involved in negotiations to find a solution to the Kurdish problem. The PKK declared a ceasefire on March 2013 as a result of the meetings.

Bahçeli also criticized Erdoğan for the alleged voice recordings of him and his son, allegedly revealing corruption and graft. The MHP leader said politicians who are involved in graft and corruption speculation in the past either stepped down or were imprisoned, despite attempting to protect themselves by using judicial powers.

Erdoğan has repeatedly claimed the graft probe opened on Dec. 17, 2013 is an attempt to overthrow his government.

Bahçeli also claimed that the AKP emerged from the ashes of the Welfare (Refah) Party as part of a “conspiracy.” “You do not mention that a political party has emerged in Turkish politics as a result of conspiracy. But you say the corruption and graft claims are a conspiracy against you,” he said.