Fatih Erbakan's call to "let Bahçeli meet" angered the MHP

Source: News Center
The MHP immediately reacted to the proposal of Fatih Erbakan , Chairman of the New Welfare Party, that MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli should hold the meeting with PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı, which was discussed within the scope of the "process" commission formed in the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
Yücel Bulut, MHP’s Central Executive Committee Member, Tokat Deputy and representative on the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission, condemned Erbakan’s statements on his social media account, claiming they were “irresponsible and despicable.”
Criticizing Fatih Erbakan for having no "political qualifications" other than carrying his father Necmettin Erbakan's surname, Yücel continued:
The late Erbakan wholeheartedly desired a solution to the problem of terrorism and the construction of a terror-free Türkiye. He undertook serious risks in this regard during his time as Prime Minister, but his short tenure and the global domination attempts aimed at establishing him prevented him from solving the problem, and he was ousted from power by the February 28 coup attempt. So much so that, in his opening speech at the Welfare Party's 4th Grand Congress in 1993, he even addressed the Kurdish issue, stating: 'I ask you, what happened to cause this hostility to emerge after we have lived as one body for centuries? Why is all this blood being shed? Any solution to the Kurdish issue can be discussed. In fact, one of the reasons why the issue has become so intractable is that this issue has been excluded from all discussions, like a taboo. For these reasons, the fight against terrorism should not be considered solely as a military operation. This issue must be addressed as a multi-element, comprehensive whole that will eliminate its source and causes.' In the following years, he sent İsmail Nacar to HADEP Chairman Murat Bozlak, who was in prison, and asked HADEP to take responsibility for "the peaceful solution of the problem."
"IT COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT NECMETTIN ERBAKAN'S KNOWLEDGE"Moreover, Fethullah Erbaş, a Welfare Party MP at the time, went to PKK camps, was met by Murat Karayılan, and negotiated for the surrender of soldiers held by the PKK. This negotiation, which was criticized at the time, saved the lives of eight of our soldiers and enabled them to be reunited with their families. The fact that a member of parliament from your father's party went to PKK camps and held talks, and that he also held radio conversations with Öcalan, who was in Damascus at the time, could not have occurred without the knowledge of the late Welfare Party Chairman Necmettin Erbakan.
"IT IS AN UNFAIR AND UNBASED ACCUSATION"MHP member Yücel, who said that Fatih Erbakan "created an area for political exploitation by endorsing his father's ideology for populist outbursts," made the following statements:
However, you, the person who founded the Welfare Party 'Again,' are now attempting to create a platform for political exploitation by invoking the principled and ideological legacy of the 'Former' Welfare Party into populist outbursts. This mentality demonstrates that you desire a momentary political opportunity over your father's innate nature; that instead of making the necessary sacrifices to build a peaceful future, you choose hypocrisy for the sake of a few social media likes and cheap interaction. Your stance, which denies your past and treats the ideal of a Terror-Free Turkey as negotiating with terrorism for the sake of political populism, is an irresponsible statement against our nation and an unfair and baseless accusation against our leader, Mr. Devlet Bahçeli, and our cadres.
📍MEETING WITH ÖCALAN Mr. Fatih Erbakan! I condemn your irresponsible and low-quality tone targeting our party leader Mr. Devlet Bahçeli.
Having no 'political qualification' other than carrying the esteemed surname of your late father Necmettin Erbakan and therefore 'RE-forming' your father's party… https://t.co/Pt8sBj1ttM
— Yücel Bulut (@yclblt06) October 14, 2025
WHAT DID FATİH ERBAKAN SAY?
Fatih Erbakan, Chairman of the New Welfare Party, reacted to the talks with Abdullah Öcalan on İmralı, which were discussed by the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission in the Turkish Grand National Assembly, and suggested that any potential meeting should be held by MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli. Erbakan made the following statement:
As is known, a National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission was established in the Turkish Grand National Assembly to resolve the terrorism problem that has inflicted great suffering on our nation. The issue of a delegation from this commission traveling to İmralı to meet with Abdullah Öcalan has been on the agenda for a long time. As the New Welfare Party, we say that it is not appropriate for this commission, representing the Turkish Grand National Assembly, to go to İmralı. If there is to be a meeting with Abdullah Öcalan, Mr. Devlet Bahçeli should personally conduct it. Mr. Bahçeli, who initiated this entire process and stated the need for a meeting with Öcalan, and who said that Öcalan's views are very important, should go to İmralı and meet with Öcalan privately. Since Öcalan cannot come to Parliament, then Mr. Bahçeli, who invited him to Parliament, should go to İmralı to meet him. Then, he should come and brief the commission himself.
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