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MHP critics tell Bahçeli his time as party leader is up
Speaking to Today’s Zaman, MHP founder İbrahim Faruk Evirgen said: “The party which we set up to improve the welfare of our nation is being distracted from this goal. Bahçeli has reached the limit set by our leader Alpaslan Türkeş that a party chairman can be elected a maximum of five times. According to democratic practice, he must step aside and clear the way for our party.”
MHP Deputy Chairman Tunca Toskay, who spoke to Today’s Zaman about the objections of dissenting members, said they do not listen to dissenters that are influenced by people who are disturbed by the MHP’s politics.
Evirgen, who is the spokesperson for the objectors, underlined that the party was being managed with a mentality that has no tolerance even for the different views of the party’s founders and noted that 18 of the 20 members of the founders’ committee have signed a manifesto prepared against Bahçeli. Recalling that 20 of the 30 founders of the party are still alive, Evirgen said the 18 committee members will hold a press conference to share their manifesto with the media.
He noted that they will try to inhibit the party administration’s desire to act like a despot by inviting all delegates to attend the ninth party congress to be held on Nov. 8. “There is a great danger for our idealist movement and party. With internal democracy being eliminated our party is being diverted from its founding philosophy. The 40-year-old Turkish-Islamic ideal is being separated from each other. Bahçeli, who has been occupying the party like a dark cloud for 12 years, is not thinking about acting according to democratic principles and handing over the administration to someone else. They want to extent Bahçeli’s right to be chairman until he dies by changing the bylaw during the congress. This situation will continue to bring down our party and our mission.”
Noting that the MHP has failed to attract the attention of central right constituents despite the ongoing economic crises and other problems happening in Turkey, Evirgen argued that the MHP could become a candidate for the ruling power again if the Bahçeli administration changes. He said that public opinion polls clearly showed that the opposition is not an alternative to the ruling power and said: “Turkey has never seen such ineffective opposition before. The reason for this is the party administration’s detachment from democratic practices.”
They will be disappointed
Toskay said opponents will be disappointed during the congress and that it’s normal to have some people voice different views when there is a big family. Turkey is passing through a critical period, he said. “We don’t think it’s odd that some voices are being raised against the policies we are applying.”
When asked what his thoughts were on the claim that the party administration would make changes to the bylaws to enable one person to lead the party until he dies, Toksay said: “Under the current circumstances in Turkey, the MHP will make changes to the bylaws in line with the party’s own demands and Turkey’s needs. We don’t care whether some people like or dislike these changes. Those who want to create waves that will lead to disorder within the MHP are going to be a bit disappointed. Hopefully, our friends are aware of what they are doing. The MHP will continue its sacred struggle behind the chairman.”
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