Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), an ally of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), has insisted on a proposal earlier floated for a general amnesty and announced the submission of a draft bill on Monday.
“States are tolerant of their faithful citizens. Civilization means amnesty and tolerance,” MHP Vice Chairman Feti Yıldız said in a written statement.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday rebuffed a proposal for general amnesty put forward by MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli for the June 24 elections.
“This proposal belongs to Mr. Bahçeli. We, with our government, definitely have no such plan,” Erdoğan said at İstanbul Atatürk Airport before leaving for the United Kingdom.
Bahçeli tweeted about a general amnesty, including notorious mafia leaders Alaattin Çakıcı and Kürşat Yılmaz. According to the Diken news website, Çakıcı made a statement through his “media advisor” Ferhat Aydoğan on Monday, threatening Peoples’ Democratic Party’s (HDP) presidential candidate Selahattin Demirtaş and HDP deputy Sezai Temelli, who had reacted angrily to Bahçeli’s statement.
Yalçın Topçu, one of Erdoğan’s chief advisors, backed the general amnesty, saying that there is a huge expectation among families of the inmates.
Topçu was chairman of the nationalist Grand Unity Party (BBP) before joining Erdoğan’s team.