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Yesterday the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which has been in Turkish politics for 40 years, held its ninth party convention, in which its leader, Devlet Bahçeli, was expected to retain his position.
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The fact that this convention was held at a time when the government is working on a democratization initiative to solve Turkey’s long-standing Kurdish problem, which the MHP strongly opposes, has led many to evaluate the convention in the wake of this initiative and the MHP’s opposition to it. According to Sabah’s Mahmut Övür, if the government’s Kurdish initiative had not been introduced, the MHP convention would have been an ordinary one because there is no intra-party opposition that could lead to a change in the party and the MHP administration is not seeking a new initiative to embrace everyone. In his view, the leaders of the MHP used the Kurdish initiative process as an opportunity and did not give opponents within the party any chance at all by turning it into a high-tension policy. So, he says, yesterday’s convention occurred at the most appropriate time for members of the MHP administration to retain their positions. “We will see in the future whether the MHP convention will lead to results that will cast a light on the democratization process. Yet, it is necessary to underline that despite the harsh rhetoric he has been using recently, MHP leader Bahçeli continues to play a significant and effective role in preventing an ethnic clash on the streets,” says Övür. Dwelling on the reasons behind the fierce opposition of the MHP to the democratization initiative, Zaman’s Mümtaz’er Türköne says one of the main reasons is the party convention, as Bahçeli knows that if he did not represent the rising anger of the people in the wake of the democratization initiative, his leadership would be in question. Another reason for the MHP’s opposition to this process, according to Türköne, is the MHP’s desire to play a role in this process, which is certain to proceed through bargaining. “Bahçeli is aware that this process is a state project approved by the military. When the process becomes the subject of democratic politics, the MHP will fill the gap left by the military. But the MHP mixes up two different issues. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party [PKK] problem will gradually be separated from the Kurdish problem and become an independent problem,” explains Türköne. He says that since Bahçeli will come out of this convention with his leadership unscathed, it is necessary to see this convention as one where the MHP’s attitude regarding the democratization process will be reviewed. “I guess that the result will be a calmer and more patient opposition to the initiative. The MHP convention will alleviate the pressure on the initiative process,” suggests Türköne.
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| 09 November 2009, Monday |
| FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK |
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