Bahçeli Calls for Reinstating Ahmet Türk, Affirms Full Support for Erdoğan’s 2028 Candidacy
MHP leader Bahçeli calls for reinstating Kurdish politician Ahmet Türk as Mardin mayor, citing his role in peace efforts. He also affirms full support for Erdoğan’s 2028 candidacy and warns against federalism in Syria.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Devlet Bahçeli, leader of Türkiye’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), has called for the reinstatement of veteran Kurdish politician Ahmet Türk to his post as Mardin’s mayor, framing his role as essential to advancing peace and stability in the country.
Speaking in an interview with Sabah newspaper on September 12, Bahçeli described Türk as “someone who contributed to dialogue with the PKK for the sake of achieving peace and stability in Türkiye” and said such a figure “should be restored to his duties.”
“Reuniting him with his municipality will contribute to the spirit of brotherhood and peace,” Bahçeli stated, adding that the same principle should apply to academic and politician Ahmet Özer, whose detention he said should end if Türkiye is truly embarking on a peace process. “If there are corruption charges or unlawful actions, that is a separate matter. But past statements on the PKK should not be conflated with administrative or criminal issues.”
Turning to broader governance, Bahçeli stressed that ongoing trials of local mayors must proceed transparently: “If they are right, they must be acquitted; if they are guilty, they must face justice. Indictments should be ready in October, shared with the public, and trials concluded swiftly.”
The MHP leader also reaffirmed his party’s unwavering support for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s candidacy in 2028, insisting that the president’s role has been pivotal through Türkiye’s most turbulent years, particularly following the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016.
“Whatever the circumstances, I support the continuation of our president’s duty,” Bahçeli said. “If he decides to run again, the MHP will fully support him.”
Bahçeli’s remarks echo statements he made earlier this month, when on September 2 he emphasized that “no force can sever the historic bond between Kurds and Turks.” Addressing his party, he declared that attempts to provoke division and hostility had collapsed, affirming that Türkiye rejects any redrawing of borders or federalist projects in Syria.
He further warned that any move toward federalism or partition in Syria constitutes a grave threat to Türkiye’s national security, stressing that resisting such initiatives would be “a legitimate and sacred duty.”
Bahçeli tied this stance to the ongoing work of the National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission in the Turkish Parliament, which he described as a practical embodiment of unity and fraternity.
The MHP leader linked the Kurdish question in Türkiye with the broader geopolitical landscape, particularly developments in Syria. He highlighted the importance of the March 10 agreement between Ankara and Damascus, cautioning that any military operation by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) could trigger a joint response coordinated by the Turkish and Syrian governments.
In his interview, Bahçeli underlined that Türkiye’s core national mission remains the establishment of a “terror-free country,” asserting that this goal reflects both the aspirations of its people and the obligations of its state.
By advocating the reinstatement of Ahmet Türk and the release of Ahmet Özer, while simultaneously affirming a hardline stance on Syria and unwavering loyalty to Erdoğan, Bahçeli has positioned himself at a complex juncture: one that blends nationalist orthodoxy with pragmatic recognition of Kurdish leaders’ potential role in reconciliation.
