The government's new route has become clear: The priority is the regime's survival.

Policy Service

Following the opening of Parliament on October 1st, the roadmap for the new political era began to become clear in the parliamentary group meetings held yesterday. While occasional tensions persisted between the MHP and AKP , it became clear that the regime's survival was the ruling party's top priority in the coming period. Another indication from the initial group meetings was that efforts to continue the "solution" process, particularly under the leadership of Bahçeli and the Democratic Party (DEM) party, would continue.

Bahçeli's speeches targeting the CHP and his description of the photo at the opening of Parliament as a "Turkey photo" show that, in parallel with the "domestic front" discussions, the CHP is being further isolated and that the regime will not give up its oppression highway, but on the contrary, will increase the pressure even further.

BAHÇELİ'S HARSH CRITICISM OF CHP

As discussions of "tension" continue within the People's Alliance, MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli's remarks yesterday attracted attention. Despite proposing an alliance between Turkey, Russia, and China, Bahçeli welcomed President Erdoğan's visit to the US and his negotiations with Trump, while also lashing out at the CHP. Regarding CHP leader Özgür Özel, Bahçeli said, "Instead of fabricating and inventing a so-called legitimacy issue regarding our President, the most logical option, in terms of its outcome and nature, is for Mr. Özgür to ​​reflect on the legitimacy of his party and himself."

Bahçeli, who also criticized the CHP's failure to attend the opening of Parliament, said, "This grave political flaw has nothing to offer our nation. Mr. Özgür's ongoing remarks, assessments, and baseless criticisms regarding that particular photograph in Parliament are, in essence, allegorical code for a deepening jealousy and a growing psychology of remorse. I must sincerely express that that photograph is a photograph of Türkiye."

Regarding the operations targeting municipalities, he said, "The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality is in the grip of bribery and corruption, under the thrall of the ecosystem. Self-confidence is required to confront these issues, and political morality and acumen are required to accept the truth. It is imperative that the CHP be held accountable for the illicit dealings within municipalities. We have full confidence in the Turkish judiciary, and it is our sincere wish that the indictments be swiftly completed and a fair trial process begin immediately."

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The Commission Should Meet with Öcalan in İmrali

Bahçeli's emphasis wasn't solely directed at the CHP. He also conveyed the need to continue where he left off on the "solution" issue. "I must say, without hesitation, that the founding leadership of the PKK has taken responsibility," Bahçeli said. "At the conclusion of the February 27th Call for Peace and Democratic Society, the PKK laid down its arms and dissolved its organizational presence on May 12th," he said. "My expectation is this: The founding leadership of the PKK should directly issue a call of the same nature and content to the SDF/YPG, demanding compliance with the March 10th agreement signed with the Damascus administration. If necessary, a group of MPs serving on the National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission should travel to İmralı for a face-to-face meeting. The messages should be received firsthand and shared with the public. I see no reason to hesitate in this."

DEM Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları also spoke at her party's parliamentary group meeting. Stating that society expects concrete action from the government, Hatimoğulları demanded the release of imprisoned politicians. Hatimoğulları also stated that the commission should meet with Abdullah Öcalan and demanded that Öcalan's "right to hope" be implemented. Koçyiğit reiterated her demand for the "right to hope" to be implemented regarding PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, saying the following:

"They marched for Mr. Öcalan's right to hope to be immediately brought to the agenda and implemented, for the commission to go to İmralı, and for the government to take steps to move on to the second phase. Our demand is the demand of the people of Turkey and the people of the world."

OPERATIONS AGAINST THE OPPOSITION MUST STOP

Hatimoğulları stated that society now wants to see concrete steps in the PKK's disarmament process, stating that the operations targeting the CHP have damaged trust in the process and that these operations must be stopped: "We have completed one year in the struggle for a democratic society and peace. Following Mr. Öcalan's call, the PKK announced its dissolution. A 30-person PKK group then held a weapons-burning ceremony. It is certainly important for us that the conflict has diminished to almost zero in the past year and that the parties have established greater dialogue. However, society now expects concrete steps. We must not give an opportunity to those who want to further muddy the stagnant waters. One of the developments that has diminished trust in the process is the judicial operations targeting the main opposition party and its municipalities. As a requirement of democracy and for peace to be socialized, we demand the immediate end of these operations."

Answering journalists' questions after the group meeting, Hatimoğulları said that Demirtaş, Yüksekdağ, and all imprisoned HDP politicians should be released: "We expect the ECHR's rulings to be implemented today or tomorrow, and for society's conscience to be eased. We wholeheartedly demand that our friends be released within hours."

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YOU ARE THE ONLY MHP MEMBER WHO HAS NOT TALKED!

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel lashed out at MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli with harsh words at his party's parliamentary group meeting. Reacting to Bahçeli's statements regarding investigations into CHP-run municipalities, Özel highlighted the assassinations of Sinan Ateş and Serdar Öktem, criticizing Bahçeli's silence. Özel said, "Look, all of Turkey is speaking, but some remain silent. The MHP member who was shot in the middle of Ankara, those who shot and are being tried, are saying in court that they are MHP members. The instigators are MHP members. The MHP member who was silenced immediately after being released. Those who silenced them are MHP members. The instigators are MHP members. The only one who hasn't spoken is you, MHP member. You are the only one."

Özel made a statement at his party's parliamentary group meeting. Beginning his speech by emphasizing that they were back under the umbrella of the Turkish Grand National Assembly after 70 days, Özel stated that they had continued to experience three major crises during these 70 days. He defined these as "a crisis of democracy, a crisis of justice, and an economic crisis." Özel reacted harshly to MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli's statements regarding the operations targeting CHP municipalities, saying, "Mr. Bahçeli, you should know who you're talking to and how you're talking. The MHP member who was shot in the middle of Ankara, the MHP members who shot and are being tried, the MHP members who were instigated, the MHP members who were silenced immediately after being released, the MHP members who silenced them. You're the only one who hasn't spoken, MHP member. You're the one who hasn't said a word. What can you say about this?"

Continuing his speech, Özel commented on the minimum wage, stating that the government's planned increase was 20 percent. Responding to high interest rates, Özel said, "While a 20 percent increase in the minimum wage is targeted, we are declaring war on credit cards that cannot be paid, credit cards whose minimum payment has already been made, and 95 percent interest on 3,000, 5,000, and 10,000 lira cash withdrawals from the bank. We will fight together on the floor of parliament and in the public squares until this rate is reduced. We will remove these ticks from the backs of the poor." Özel said, "We want to change this cruel system and establish the people's power. We will drive out this government that is starving children."