 leader Devlet Bahçeli, a key ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has warned that continued street protests in Turkey could trigger confrontations with government loyalists.){kind=link}
Far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, a key ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has warned that continued street protests in Turkey could trigger confrontations with government loyalists.
In a written statement published by Türkgün, a pro-MHP newspaper, Bahçeli said if the protests continued, demonstrators could be met by a counter-mobilization, raising the risk of nationwide clashes.
“If people urged to take to the streets are confronted, as on July 15 [2016], how will conflict be prevented?” Bahçeli said, referring to the night when pro-Erdoğan Turks mobbed soldiers after the president called them into the streets to fight what he called an attempted coup, “If TV channels making calls for street protests are targeted, how will the provocateurs bear the consequences?”
Turkey has seen its largest wave of street protests in more than a decade since March 19, when İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Erdoğan’s strongest political rival, was detained on allegations of corruption. He was detained just one day after the annulment of his university diploma and was later arrested as well as suspended from office. The move triggered nightly demonstrations in major cities and university campuses across the country.
Nearly 2,000 people have been detained by the police, including journalists, students and opposition officials. Rights groups have condemned what they describe as mass detentions, excessive use of force and restrictions on freedom of assembly.
Bahçeli accused the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which organized many of the protests, of using unrest to destabilize the government.
“Street demonstrations that disturb the peace and public order are not democratic actions but rather provocations,” he said.
The MHP leader defended limits on protests under Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which allows restrictions in the interest of national security and public order. He called on Turkish authorities to intervene to preserve stability.
Bahçeli has not appeared in public since undergoing heart surgery in early February. His prolonged absence has fueled speculation over his health, including unfounded rumors of his death, as no photo, video, or audio of the leader has been released in nearly two months.
“The CHP has historically called for civil disobedience when unable to win power through elections,” Bahçeli said, accusing the party of betraying the legacy of its founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and aligning with foreign interests. He also said opposition leaders and pundits hoping to benefit from unrest would be held accountable if the protests escalate.
The nationwide protests have been driven by youths and university students, hundreds of whom have been detained under harsh conditions. Lawyers and opposition politicians have reported mistreatment, including beatings, overcrowded cells and denial of access to families and legal counsel.