SECOND BAHÇELİ-ALLY ARRESTED
İsmet Sayhan, former president of the state-owned Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE) and a close associate of MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli, has been arrested.
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FROM MOBSTERS TO A HITMAN: NEW TWIST IN ISTANBUL MUNICIPALITY CASE
The corruption probe into Istanbul and other CHP-run municipalities has taken a new turn, extending beyond politicians, lawyers, mobsters, and journalists to include a hitman. The alleged hitman is said to have acted on the instructions of Selahattin Yılmaz, a figure backed by MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli. The latest detentions targeted several lawyers and legal experts, whose ultra-luxurious offices and lavish lifestyles raised questions, with images suggesting close links to the government.
MHP REPEATS CALL FOR RAPID RESOLUTION OF İMAMOĞLU CASE
Pointing to the long-continued pre-trial detentions over the Istanbul Municipality probe, MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli said that investigations into the Istanbul Municipality must be completed quickly to end speculation about bias in the judiciary.
'BAHÇELİ SHOULD KEEP HIS PROMISE'
Mustafa Karasu, a leading figure in the PKK, has said MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli should keep his promise regarding the “right to hope” for PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.
ULTRANATIONALIST RIFT OVER COMMISSION DEEPENS
A political feud has erupted between Turkey’s two largest ultranationalist parties—the MHP and its breakaway rival the İYİ Party—over the establishment of a parliamentary commission tasked with preparing for the potential disarmament of the PKK.
BAHÇELİ AMONG FIRST TO JOIN SOCIAL PLATFORM LAUNCHED BY ERDOĞAN’S SON-IN-LAW
MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli joined the newly launched social media platform Next Sosyal, developed by Baykar Chair Selçuk Bayraktar, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s son-in-law.
SONG FOR A TERROR-FREE TURKEY
As requested by MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli, artist Ali Kınık composed a folk song on the theme of brotherhood to celebrate the Terror-free Turkey process.
GOVERNMENT PROMOTES PEACE PLAN AS İYİ PARTY HEADS TO DIYARBAKIR
The AKP and MHP are gearing up to promote the “Terror-free Turkey” initiative on the ground, while the İYİ Party prepares a counter-move.
DEM PARTY DENIES ERDOĞAN’S ‘TRIPLE ALLIANCE’ CLAIM
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s remark about a “triple alliance” between the AKP, MHP, and DEM Party has drawn a sharp rebuke from DEM Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları, who said the comment misrepresented the party’s role in the ongoing disarmament process.
12 SOLDIERS KILLED, QUESTIONS UNANSWERED
The Defense Ministry announced that 12 soldiers died on July 6 from methane gas during a search of a cave previously used as a hospital by the PKK in northern Iraq. Opposition parties called for a parliamentary commission to investigate whether the necessary precautions, including the use of gas masks and detectors, were taken when the soldiers entered the cave, but this proposal was rejected by AKP and MHP votes.
TRT COULD BROADCAST LIVE İMAMOĞLU’S TRIAL
The possibility the trial of imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu could be televised by state broadcaster TRT has sparked rare agreement among political rivals. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan endorsed MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli’s call for the hearings to be aired live. Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç also weighed in, saying that Parliament can act on the matter if there is consensus.
GOVERNMENT’S NEW MOTTO: DOMESTIC FRONT
The ruling AKP and MHP chairs continued calling for a strong “domestic front,” urging the opposition not to voice objections as the Kurdish process continues.