MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli called for unity. “It is a vital necessity for our national security and domestic unity that the CHP and other opposition parties pursue politics free from demagoguery, lies, distortions, slander, and baseless accusations,” he said in his first address to his party’s group meeting in the five months since he suffered health problems.
Bahçeli stated that they are worried about the continuous hostilities in the area, which have caused instability both locally and globally.
He said that Turkey should be taken into account first and that anyone who believes that bombs thrown in the capitals of neighboring countries, such as Tehran, Baghdad, Damascus, and others, would not affect Ankara is either ignorant or complicit.
Bahçeli said he was concerned about recent CHP actions.
'The place where the CHP stands is not the place where the Turkish nation stands. Where the CHP looks is not one and the same with Turkey's national goals,” he said.
He said that the CHP's uncompromising stance on the most fundamental national issues would help the enemy's ambitions to reach Turkey.
Calling on all parties to prioritise Turkey, Bahçeli said, 'The day is the day of unification. The day is the day of solidarity.”
ERDOĞAN IS HAPPY WITH PROGRESS
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who first used the term domestic front in October, said that it is growing stronger.
“Turkey has already made significant progress in strengthening its domestic front. However, the process is not yet complete, and caution against provocations remains essential,” Erdoğan said on his way back to Turkey from the NATO summit.
He said efforts to build a “Terror-Free Turkey” are progressing with broad parliamentary support and emphasized the importance of shielding the process from daily political disputes.
Speaking ahead of a planned meeting with the DEM Party, Erdoğan underscored national unity and praised both Bahçeli’s guidance and the DEM delegation’s constructive stance. The president noted that he would meet with the DEM delegation next week.
ÖZEL: 'DEMOCRACY AND JUSTICE COME FIRST'
CHP Chair Özgür Özel rebuked the government’s call for a domestic front.
“Democracy comes first. Justice comes first,” he said.
Highlighting that the CHP received 20 million votes in the last election, Özel declared that the countdown has begun for Erdoğan’s vote tally. “I’m saying this looking Turkey straight in the eye: Ekrem İmamoğlu is innocent. His only ‘crime’ is being a presidential candidate—someone who can defeat Erdoğan,” said Özel.
As the CHP’s group meeting also saw the attendance of Muharrem İnce, who recently rejoined the CHP, İmamoğlu issued a new message from prison, calling for stronger solidarity among opposition forces.
“At this critical juncture in our history, the opposition must take steps that resonate with public sentiment,” İmamoğlu said.
Referring to a recent conversation with İyi Party Chair Müsavat Dervişoğlu, İmamoğlu noted: “A united opposition will serve as a guide for our nation in many respects.”
İYİ OBJECTS TO GOVERNMENT’S RHETORIC
Dervişoğlu sharply criticized the government’s narrative of “strengthening the domestic front,” accusing the ruling alliance of exploiting the discourse for political gain and engaging in covert talks with terrorist groups.
Speaking at his party’s group meeting, Dervişoğlu said: “What the People’s Alliance understands of strengthening the domestic front is negotiating with terrorist organizations. All of this is in pursuit of a lifetime presidency.”
Referring to Bahçeli’s recent warning that “Israel may target Turkey next,” Dervişoğlu claimed the government was “fueling Israel’s campaign” instead of addressing national defense gaps. “Rather than using this rhetoric to consolidate their voter base, the visible and invisible leaders of the ruling coalition should take concrete steps to strengthen Turkey’s defense—starting with a fully equipped air defense system and next-generation fighter jets,” he said.
