Fatih Altaylı Claims Devlet Bahçeli Sent Poetry to Abdullah Öcalan
devletbahceli
Journalist Fatih Altaylı, who is currently detained on charges of “threatening the President”, has made a striking claim from Silivri Prison. In a letter sent to his personal YouTube series “Yorumlayamıyor” (“He Can’t Comment”), Altaylı alleged that MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli once sent a poem by Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı to PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.
Altaylı stated:
“MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli sent a poem to Abdullah Öcalan. I’m not joking. It was a poem by Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı. Bahçeli even added a note. If Öcalan is not making this up, Bahçeli wrote: ‘I salute the architect of the process with respect.’ I mention this because there seems to be more alignment between the two than people realize.”
Altaylı did not clarify how or when this alleged communication took place. The claim has sparked intense discussion, particularly given the MHP’s longstanding nationalist stance and Bahçeli’s previous opposition to dialogue with Öcalan, who is serving a life sentence for terrorism.
Political Context and Reaction
The claim is particularly noteworthy considering Bahçeli’s role in Turkish politics. As the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)—a staunch ally of President Erdoğan—Bahçeli has consistently rejected any engagement with the PKK or its leadership, often accusing political opponents of undermining national unity.
If true, the existence of a direct or symbolic communication between Bahçeli and Öcalan would represent a significant contradiction to MHP’s public discourse, especially amid renewed discussions on Kurdish peace efforts and the establishment of a parliamentary commission for a “Terror-Free Türkiye.”