 and a key ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, appeared in public Friday for the first time in more than two months, following speculation over his health and political future.){kind=link}
Devlet Bahçeli, leader of Turkey’s far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and a key ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, appeared in public Friday for the first time in more than two months, following speculation over his health and political future.
The 76-year-old politician attended a ceremony in Ankara to mark the 28th anniversary of the death of Alparslan Türkeş, the MHP’s founder and longtime leader.
Bahçeli had not been seen in public since early February, when he was hospitalized and underwent heart surgery.
His absence from weekly party meetings and other events sparked intense speculation on social media, including unfounded rumors about his death.
The MHP repeatedly denied claims about his health, instead releasing written statements attributed to Bahçeli during his recovery.
On Friday the party posted photos of Bahçeli at Türkeş’s grave at the Beştepe Cemetery, standing alongside party officials and appearing alert and smiling.
The appearance came as Turkey faces widespread unrest sparked by the March 19 arrest of İstanbul’s opposition mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, Erdoğan’s most prominent rival.
Bahçeli had previously warned that continued protests could provoke street clashes similar to those seen on the night of a 2016 coup attempt.
His last public message, issued days earlier in writing, accused opposition leaders and media outlets of provoking unrest and said any anti-democratic actions would come at a price.
Bahçeli has led the MHP since 1997 and has been a key partner of Erdoğan, supporting a constitutional amendment that ushered in Turkey’s presidential system.
He played a critical role in Erdoğan’s 2018 and 2023 election victories and continues to shape the ruling bloc’s nationalist platform.
The MHP did not say whether Bahçeli would return to regular public engagements.