Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli on Wednesday visited Alaattin Çakıcı, a crime gang leader who has been convicted of a number of crimes, at a hospital in the central province of Kırıkkale, according to messages from the party’s Twitter account on Wednesday.
Çakıcı, who is serving time in a Kırıkkale prison, was hospitalized five days ago.
“Our chairman, Mr. Devlet Bahçeli, is visiting ailing Alaattin Çakıcı at the Kırıkkale Hospital,” MHP Deputy Chairman Semih Yalçın tweeted, sharing photos from the visit.
Bahçeli reportedly gave prayer beads to Çakıcı as a present.
Çakıcı has been convicted of establishing and leading a criminal organization, masterminding a murder, instigating assault and insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, with each carrying a lengthy prison sentence.
In a controversial move earlier this month, Bahçeli called for amnesty for Çakıcı and Kürşat Yılmaz, another notorious gang leader. His call was turned down by President Erdoğan.
“Mr. Bahçeli’s demand, or offer, is his own. Right now we and our government are certainly not considering any such thing,” Erdoğan said.
Bahçeli has formed an alliance with the ruling the Justice and Development Party (AKP) ahead of snap presidential and general elections on June 24.