Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), made his first appearance in months at his party’s parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday in the capital, Ankara.
Bahçeli, who overcame a bout with illness in late January, told an audience of lawmakers and supporters that Israel should be stopped by an international front of resistance amid heightened tensions in the region.
Wearing a patch and a ring bearing the inscription of the famed nationalist motto “May God Protect The Turk,” Bahçeli was hawkish in his criticism of Israel’s attacks targeting Iran and hit out at other politicians and pundits in Türkiye who downplayed Israel’s threat of expansion.
“The danger comes in many sizes; we should wake up,” he said, reiterating his earlier warnings about the spillover of conflicts initiated by Israel in the region.
“From the Middle East to the Balkans, Asia and Africa, scenarios for invasion and violence are always unfolding. The consequence of lethargy in the face of (threats) is falling into captivity,” he said.
“Hostile intentions are always there. Any downplayed alarm or provocation today will have an awful consequence tomorrow. We have to be proactive, ready and resistant to every aggression, every blood plot and turmoil around us,” he warned.
He stated that conflicts adjoin each other and evolve into a chaotic order, naming the developments as worrying. “We have to think about our country. Israel’s attack on Iran is unfair and barbaric. It is clear that the United States joined the line of warring countries by bombing Iran on June 22. We cannot delay focusing on multi-dimensional crises at a time of projections for a new world war, with the spirit of mobilization,” he said.
“You have to be ignorant or a collaborator to claim bombs dropped on Tehran, Baghdad, Damascus or other capitals in the region would not affect Ankara. Israel tried to make people forget about the genocide in Gaza by attacking Iran. It tried to thwart terror-free Türkiye and planned to implement a Zionist-imperialist order in neighboring countries by inciting fear,” he said.
Terror-free Türkiye refers to an initiative launched last year by Bahçeli. Bahçeli has urged the PKK terrorist group to lay down arms and last May, the group announced imminent dissolution after decades of violence targeting Türkiye. Bahçeli views the PKK threat as a major obstacle for a fully independent and prosperous Türkiye, as the group’s existence in neighboring Iraq and Syria forced Türkiye to allocate major resources to counterterrorism and stunted the economic growth, especially in terrorism-plagued southeastern regions. Türkiye repeatedly carried out cross-border operations to wipe out the PKK and managed to reduce its presence, to an extent, in Iraq and Syria.
For Türkiye, the terrorist group is a convenient tool for its foes to destabilize the country. Although most countries designated it as a terrorist group, some allies of Türkiye, particularly the United States, openly supported the PKK’s Syria wing in the guise of a joint fight against Daesh.
“Bombing the countries will hinder peaceful dialogue and blunt the desire for peace and stability. It will fuel proxy wars and start an era of incessant turmoil,” he said.
He warned of a third world war “that may turn the global civilization into a monster eating itself.” “Unfortunately, injustice took root, and moral decay affected every corner of the world. Use of disproportionate force, bullying, biased laws favoring crimes and criminals led to the massacre of human rights. This massacre machine, failure to stop Zionist barbarism, is a monument of shame. This aggression and banditry require us to remain vigilant,” he stated.
Bahçeli branded Israel as a so-called state that lost self-control. “Lack of any sanctions against Israel motivates it to commit more heinous acts. The United Nations are weak, inactive. They are cowards. The United Nations Security Council succumbed to a damning silence and inaction,” he added.
Bahçeli also called upon Muslim countries to stop their attitude of “see no evil, hear no evil” and clearly express their “moral stand” through virtuous acts collectively.
“Ummah and the nation should stand up. If not now, when? How long this order of bandits and oppressors will prevail? This cannot be sustained; we cannot remain silent in the face of bloodshed. The United Nations should use force now and punish the criminal. A joint line of resistance against terrorist state Israel,” he underlined.
