‘THE RIGHT TO HOPE’ AND SINGER TARKAN
MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli raised the bar this week in the Kurdish peace process he launched in October 2024. He proposed the “right to hope” for Abdullah Öcalan. What do we mean by the right to hope?
Analysis
In-Depth Analysis
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BAHÇELI MOVES TO STEADY TURKEY’S PEACE PROCESS AMID SYRIA SHOCKS
As the Turkish peace process with Kurds enters a period of turbulence following shifting dynamics and territorial changes in Syria, MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli, who initiated the process, has stepped up efforts to prevent it from unraveling even as rhetoric hardens between the ruling bloc and the DEM Party.
BAHÇELİ GIVES GREEN LIGHT TO “ÖCALAN FREEDOM” RALLY
MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli said there was no problem with the rally calling for the release of Abdullah Öcalan to be held by the DEM Party in Diyarbakır on Jan. 4, 2026.
MHP FURY OVER BARZANI PHOTOS PUSHES INTERIOR MINISTRY TO INVESTIGATE ITS OWN STAFF
Images of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani accompanied by uniformed peshmerga fighters wearing red berets and carrying assault rifles weapons in Şırnak sparked outrage — particularly from MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli — and drove the Interior Ministry to investigate itself.
FETİ YILDIZ AND MHP’S NEW TONE
Feti Yıldız is not a “latecomer” but a nationalist raised in the movement — a core MHP figure. With the Kurdish peace process, he became the party’s most visible face after Devlet Bahçeli. At 71, he carries the aura of a character who stepped out of the classic Yeşilçam cinema of the 1970s, and onto the political stage — as if he came from there, yet without acting. He simply is who he is. Of course, he is not the lead role; that belongs to Bahçeli. But even if Yıldız looks like a character actor, his strength lies in being exactly what he appears to be. He is not one of those shapeshifting politicians. He steers clear of the MHP’s trademark overblown patriotic rhetoric. He avoids slogans. He usually answers journalists’ questions by staying within the framework of his profession — the law.
CERTAIN WEIGHT OF BAHÇELİ AND FUTURE OF PEOPLE’S ALLIANCE
During a party debate, veteran AKP politician Bülent Arınç once distinguished himself from his comrades by declaring, “I have a certain weight of my own.” Though Arınç’s own weight has faded over the past decade, if one were to search for true “political weight” in today’s Turkey, one name stands out above all: Devlet Bahçeli. Having led the MHP for 28 years, Bahçeli has always been a force shaping Turkish politics—but in recent years, as part of the ruling People’s Alliance, he has become almost the determining factor in many critical decisions.
EYES ON ERDOĞAN’S MESSAGE, BAHÇELİ’S INITIATIVE AS NEW TERM BEGINS
As the Turkish Parliament begins its new legislative year on Oct. 1, attention will center on MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli—who launched the “Terror-Free Turkey” peace initiative a year ago—and on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s remarks regarding its future. Following a 70-day recess, Parliament will convene with a special General Assembly session at 2:00 p.m. As usual, Erdoğan will deliver an opening address, though the CHP will boycott the ceremony in protest of recent mayoral arrests and crackdowns on municipalities. This year, the political spotlight will remain on post-PKK arrangements such as the “Return Home” law, the “right to hope,” and amendments to the penal code.
BAHÇELİ BRINGS UP MILITARY OPTION AGAINST ISRAEL
MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli said that the time has come to issue a stern ultimatum against Israel, including military options, regarding Israel's attacks on Palestine and the regional actors.
BAHÇELİ'S TRÇ PROPOSAL FALLS FLAT
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan shows no interest in MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli's proposal that Turkey, Russia, and China (TRÇ) should form an alliance against the U.S.-Israel coalition.
BAHÇELİ WARNS OF NEW “PARALLEL STRUCTURE” IN STATE
MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli called for a probe into whether a new “parallel” structure has infiltrated the bureaucracy, ahead of criticisms of the judiciary. In comments about juvenile offenders, he recalled how the Gülen Terrorist Organization had established parallel networks within the government to cause chaos.
NATIONALIST CHAIR CALLS FOR TURKEY-RUSSIA-CHINA ALLIANCE AGAINST U.S.-ISRAEL
MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli has called for an alliance between Turkey, Russia, and China (abbreviated as TRÇ in Turkish) to counter what he described as the 'evil coalition' of the United States and Israel, which he said was 'challenging the world.'
NUMAN KURTULMUŞ: WHEN YOU CAN’T BE NUMBER ONE
Numan Kurtulmuş is currently the speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, and as such also chairs the “National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission” formed to seek a solution to the Kurdish question. But if we were to borrow the rhetorical style of MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, we might ask: “Who is Kurtulmuş, where did he come from, and where is he heading?”