Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli gave a speech in Ankara on Saturday announcing his party’s election manifesto and reiterating his call for a general amnesty, excluding Gülen-linked suspects and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants.
On May 13 President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had rejected the suggestion.
Bahçeli harshly criticized a proposal made by the İYİ (Good) Party to release the Democratic Peoples’ Party (HDP) presidential candidate, jailed politician Selahattin Demirtaş, for the election campaign and offered “forgiveness” to İYİ Party members from the MHP if they expressed regret for supporting the suggestion.
The MHP’s slogan for the election campaign is “National Revival, Blessed Uprising,” with Bahçeli implying that they had chosen homeland over party by forming an alliance with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
“The elections on June 24 will be the most critical vote in republican history,” Bahçeli said. Claiming that the Turkish lira’s free fall against foreign currencies was a conspiracy against the country, he argued that a decision to hold snap elections was made due to threats to the economy.
The MHP’s election manifesto was structured around five main topics: combatting corruption, judicial system projects, increased industrialization, enhanced public administration and foreign policy.
It also vowed to provide economic advantages to merchants, farmers, retirees and army veterans.
During his speech Bahçeli also attacked polling companies that recently showed the MHP’s share of votes at below 10 percent.