MHP’s Bahçeli meets Demirel to discuss presidential elections

ANKARA

AA Photo

Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), visited Turkey’s former president and veteran politician Süleyman Demirel to exchange views on the upcoming presidential elections.

“The views of our president are very valuable for us. We just wanted to get the benefit of his views,” Bahçeli told reporters before the meeting on May 16.

Demirel served as president between 1993 and 2000 and is known as one of the most experienced politicians in the country.

“It’s the first time in history that the people will directly vote for the president. It’s such an important responsibility for the people. The people should do their job,” Demirel said.

The job of politicians, however, is to make the best nomination for the very important position, and the figure they should support should be someone who embraces the entire nation, he said.

The veteran politician recalled that the presidential elections were not easy and that it featured some difficulties, while expressing his hope that the process would strengthen Turkish democracy.

“The election process should be completed peacefully in justice and within the principles of the rule of law,” Demirel said.

Asked about Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s much-criticized slap to the face of a citizen, Demirel said the accident in Soma had already dealt the country grave pain, advising people and officials to be cool-headed.