MHP leader criticizes CHP's Baykal for 2019 presidential candidate plea

Opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli on Saturday criticized the former Republican People's Party Chairman Deniz Baykal for encouraging former President Abdullah Gül to run as a candidate in the 2019 presidential elections.

MHP's Bahçeli asserted on his personal Twitter account that, "Those who were shattered on April 16 will never rise up again," adding that, "Pinning hopes on those outdated figures, is only a sign of cessation."

Bahçeli's statements come following CHP's former Chairman Baykal's remarks urging his party's current leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to either run as candidate for the next presidential election in 2019 or resign from his post.

The former CHP leader, who is now the Antalya deputy, also said that former President Abdullah Gül would have a great chance to win should he decide to run for election.

"If Mr. Gül has the intention to become a candidate, it would be a situation worth evaluating. But he shouldn't leave it too late, because the process will start [soon]," Baykal said.

"It is mentioned that the no-bloc is recruiting, investing towards 2019 and saying ‘he' and ‘she' should run as a candidate. But they should look at what the nation is saying," Bahçeli responded.