“Devletin Başına Devlet Gelecek” (The State Will Have Devlet as Its Leader). Do we still remember this slogan? How many of us do? It was the most important slogan the MHP created for their leader, Devlet Bahçeli. It has been more than ten years, maybe even longer, since this slogan was last heard. Many have linked its disappearance to Bahçeli’s and, consequently, MHP’s strong and open support for President Erdoğan since 2016. That might be true, but it cannot be explained by this alone.
If we say that Bahçeli’s personal style and particular ideological stance played a decisive role in silencing this powerful slogan, we wouldn't be exaggerating. It’s safe to say that Bahçeli himself didn’t like it. He is not the type of politician who enjoys mingling in markets, visiting shopkeepers, or engaging in street politics. If it were up to him, he wouldn’t even hold rallies during elections, except for a few symbolic locations. He prefers to stay distant—perhaps even completely removed—from crowds, slogans, and noise. There have even been instances when he scolded MHP youth for shouting slogans too loudly.
Contrary to popular belief, Bahçeli does not pursue politics with the goal of becoming “the head of state.” But it’s no small feat to influence state affairs without being in power. After all, isn’t politics currently being shaped by the İmralı process he set in motion in October?
CIGARETTES AND BEŞİKTAŞ
Now, let’s ask: What does Devlet Bahçeli like? First and foremost, it is well known that he loved smoking. He only managed to quit after undergoing bypass surgery in 2004, long before his recent operation. Until then, it is said that he smoked three packs a day and had his last cigarette just before the surgery.
There is another major thing Bahçeli has given up. He was a devoted fan of the Beşiktaş football team. However, following the devastating earthquakes in February 2023, when Beşiktaş fans protested what they saw as insufficient aid efforts, Bahçeli was furious and abandoned the team. After the Beşiktaş crowd chanted “Government Resign”, Bahçeli first announced that he was resigning his Beşiktaş membership. Then, he declared that he would now support the Karagümrük football team.
FERDİ TAYFUR AND TRUCKER RESTAURANTS
It has been a month and a half since Bahçeli underwent his latest heart valve surgery. During this time, he has not been seen in a single photograph. However, he has made phone calls and, according to reports, has assured those he spoke with that he stands firmly behind the new İmralı process he initiated.
Looking at Bahçeli’s biography, we see that he was born in Osmaniye. At his birth and for long afterward, Osmaniye was a district of Adana. It was originally a province in the early years of the Republic but was later merged with Adana. In this sense, Bahçeli is as much an Adana native as he is from Osmaniye.
He takes great pleasure in listening to another Adana native: the late arabesque singer Ferdi Tayfur, who passed away shortly before Bahçeli’s heart surgery. There are well-known images of Bahçeli driving through Ankara in his beloved classic cars while listening to Ferdi Tayfur. Despite being from Osmaniye and Adana, he is, in fact, a typical Ankara politician. He has an academic background, and his attire and demeanor fit the mold of a classic Ankara statesman.
Since forming a partnership with Erdoğan in 2016, the only times he has been seen publicly—outside of meetings with the president—are during the MHP’s parliamentary group meetings. However, the last time he was extensively photographed before his surgery was probably at Ferdi Tayfur’s funeral. Bahçeli had a deep emotional connection to Tayfur, once saying, 'His death took a part of me with him.'
Unless absolutely necessary for official state affairs, Bahçeli avoids flying. He prefers to travel by road—and he likes speed. His convoy often takes breaks at trucker restaurants along the highways. And as those who travel frequently know, that’s where the best food on the road is found.
FOUNDING LEADER
Recently, Bahçeli has been criticized for referring to Öcalan as a 'founding leader' in a written statement regarding the İmralı process. The response was to ask how he had shifted from “baby killer” to “founding leader”. In response, the MHP issued an official statement urging people to “move past certain things.”
But Bahçeli’s use of the term “founding leader” for Öcalan is not surprising—it’s a classic Bahçeli move. In the 1970s, MHP members and their then-leader Alparslan Türkeş used only one term to describe the left and socialists: “communist.” This was the era of the famous slogan “Communists to Moscow!”
However, Bahçeli never used the term “communist” to accuse the left. As a nationalist university student in Ankara during the 1968 protests, he witnessed the rise of leftist movements. Yet, rather than calling them communists, he always referred to them as “revolutionaries.” His political lexicon has always distinguished between “nationalists and revolutionaries.”
Erdoğan has been in power for 23 years, but Bahçeli has led MHP for 28 years. He is a politician who can hurl the harshest criticisms at Erdoğan one day and then offer him the greatest support the next. It is no exaggeration to say that he is a politician unconcerned with electoral pressures.
Ultimately, he remains out of sight, but the İmralı process he initiated in October is moving forward. Perhaps soon, a table will be prepared for negotiations. The question is: will it be a table from a trucker restaurant? We’ll have to wait and see.
