The head of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahçeli, on Tuesday sharply criticized the United States and Israel over reported attacks on Iran, calling the actions illegitimate and warning they could destabilize both regional and global balances.
Bahçeli said during his party’s parliamentary group meeting that any U.S. attack on Iran, which he described as influenced by “Zionist provocation and planning,” would damage regional and global equilibrium.
“This aggression is illegitimate, unlawful and immoral,” Bahçeli said.
His remarks came amid heightened tensions in the Middle East and following reports of Israeli strikes that targeted senior Iranian officials and strategic infrastructure. Bahçeli questioned the state of ongoing diplomatic efforts, asking: “Weren’t negotiations continuing? Wasn’t it being claimed that talks were progressing and close to agreement?”
Bahçeli reminded that both the United States and Iran had signaled progress in the talks and that further discussions were expected to continue in Vienna.
According to Bahçeli, an Israeli attack took place on Feb. 28 while Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was meeting with senior political and bureaucratic officials to discuss developments related to the negotiations. He described the alleged killing of participants in that meeting as “an act of treachery,” claiming that intelligence infiltration had reached critical levels within Iran.
Bahçeli argued that Tehran had been subjected to intelligence operations and coercive tactics regarding the elimination of Iran’s top leadership and its military and strategic team.
He added that negotiations had been used as a pretext to set a trap for Iran.
At the same time, Bahçeli called for peaceful solutions to regional conflicts, including tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He said the only reality that should dominate global affairs is peace and urged direct diplomatic engagement to resolve both the Iran crisis and clashes between Kabul and Islamabad.
“Peace has no losers; war has no winners,” he said. “To choose war instead of reconciliation is a crime.”
Bahçeli also stressed that Iran’s political and territorial integrity must be preserved. He said the future of the Islamic Republic should be determined solely by the will of the Iranian people and warned that any external imposition or attempt to divide the country along ethnic or sectarian lines would violate international law and the U.N. Charter.
Referring to comments attributed to former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and U.S.-based analyst Michael Rubin that compared Türkiye’s future to Iran’s current situation, Bahçeli said Ankara could not ignore what he described as hostile rhetoric.
“Whoever comes against us must be prepared to face the consequences,” he said, adding that Türkiye would not refrain from speaking out against what it sees as wrongdoing.
Moreover, he stressed that his purpose was not to recount details of the attacks but to underline what he described as urgent lessons for Türkiye.
“We must recognize how close and ruthless the threat has become,” he said, emphasizing the importance of national unity and solidarity.
Bahçeli argued that developments affecting neighboring Iran could not be separated from Türkiye’s own security considerations.
He further pointed to recent public debate in Türkiye over the government’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative and calls for unity between Turks and Kurds, suggesting that regional instability underscored the need for internal cohesion.
The initiative, which aims to disarm the terrorist group PKK, has largely succeeded so far. It took a new turn last week when a parliamentary committee approved a final report on proposals for new laws and regulations to facilitate the process. The initiative has been unilateral, after the PKK announced it would dissolve itself following a February 2025 call by its jailed ringleader, Abdullah Öcalan. Lawmakers are now expected to discuss amendments to existing laws or implement new ones for the integration of PKK members not involved in acts of terrorism.
Concluding his remarks, Bahçeli extended condolences to those who lost their lives, including Iran’s Supreme Leader, and expressed sympathy to the Iranian people, describing Iran as a friendly, neighboring country.
