Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli has said that the Republican People's Party (CHP) has allotted itself the role of the leader of the 49 percent of the population who voted "no" in the April referendum, adding that the CHP's cause is "political pollution."
Bahçeli told reporters on Aug. 10 that the CHP is trying to take on the leading role representing the "no bloc" by assaulting the MHP and the country's ruling party, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
Speaking about debates on religion and Atatürk, Bahçeli said: "These kinds of debates on TV increase the tension in the populace, insight violence and pollute the political discourse. This will not benefit the CHP."
The MHP leader claimed that the CHP has been using a strategy that is based on creating tension. He said that "a tension strategy in the framework of Turkey's domestic and foreign political issues can be observed, and in line with this strategy, the CHP seems eager to form a bloc with the aim of defeating the ruling AK Party."
Bahçeli added that the CHP believes it will preserve the 49 percent "no" bloc by using discourse on judicial and democratic instruments.
Bahçeli contended that those who have "run out of political discourse" now claim that there is a deadlock in politics, with the aim of opening up a space for themselves.
Commenting on the efforts by MHP dissidents to form a new political party, the current MHP leader said that there have been efforts to boost the profiles of these people by using media groups who attribute meaning to the new party. Bahçeli described the new party as a "balloon" that will burst.
Meral Akşener, a former Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) member and a leading dissenter, took the decision along with other dissenters to form a new political party. Akşener has picked up the pace to finalize efforts to form the party. Koray Aydın, a MHP deputy, also resigned in order to join Akşener's new political party. Aydın previously accused Akşener of having close ties with the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ). Akşener asserted that the new party's political position would be at the center, embracing everyone.
