UPDATE (Ocalan comments added) Bahçeli Rules Out Early Elections, Warns Against U.S. Strike on Iran

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli concluded his parliamentary group meeting—where he reiterated his call for a terrorism-free Turkey—with the following statement:

“Our position is clear until peace is restored in Anatolia, hope prevails, public officials take office, and Selahattin Demirtaş is able to return to his home.”

Speaking at his party’s group meeting, Bahçeli addressed current political developments and called on the DEM Party to adopt a respectful stance toward Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the PKK. He stated:

“Since 27 February 2025, has the PKK’s founding leadership upheld all of the commitments it made? Yes. Has it ensured the dissolution of the organisation and the destruction of weapons? Yes. Has the 27 February call become binding not only for the PKK but also for all of its affiliated structures? Yes. Given that these objectives have been achieved, it is now appropriate to expect that respect be shown to the PKK’s founding leadership by the DEM Party and all associated entities.”

Summary

Turkey’s nationalist leader Devlet Bahçeli dismissed speculation about early elections, saying the vote will be held as scheduled and that calls for snap polls are “politically irresponsible.” Speaking at his party’s parliamentary group meeting, Bahçeli also welcomed recent developments in Syria, criticised opposition leader Özgür Özel, and warned that a potential U.S. military strike on Iran would destabilise the region and threaten global security.

“Early Elections Are Not on the Agenda”

Addressing lawmakers from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in parliament, Bahçeli rejected opposition calls for an early vote.

“The election date is clear. Early elections will never be on the agenda,” he said, accusing the opposition of manufacturing artificial political pressure.

Bahçeli specifically targeted CHP leader Özgür Özel, describing repeated calls for early elections as “political folly” and arguing that the ruling People’s Alliance would not be drawn into what he called “cheap and stale debates.”

“When election day comes, the Turkish nation will show those who exploit, deny, and loot where they stand,” he said.

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Syria: Integration Deal a “Turning Point”

Bahçeli said an agreement reached on 30 January 2026 between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDG/YPG), based on earlier ceasefire frameworks, marked a decisive step toward restoring Syria’s sovereignty.

Under the deal, he said, armed and administrative structures would be gradually integrated into the Syrian state, with government forces deploying to Hasakah and Qamishli and SDG-affiliated units withdrawing from current front lines.

“There will be no state within a state, no parallel army,” Bahçeli said, adding that the implementation process had already begun.

He framed the agreement as a continuation of the 27 February 2025 “Peace and Democratic Society Call” issued by the imprisoned leader of the PKK, claiming that commitments made since then had been honoured.

“Turks and Kurds Are One Nation”

Bahçeli emphasised national unity, warning against provocations aimed at undermining Turkish-Kurdish relations.

“Turks are ours, Kurds are ours. The Turkish nation is all of us,” he said, accusing unnamed actors of attempting to inflame ethnic tensions both in Turkey and Syria.

He said those equating Kurdish citizens with terrorist organisations would ultimately lose, and stressed that peace required patience and vigilance against provocations.

Sharp Criticism of CHP Leader Özel

Bahçeli strongly criticised CHP leader Özgür Özel for questioning Syria’s counterterrorism campaign and for remarks suggesting Damascus does not represent the entire country.

“He has lost both his political compass and his sense of national responsibility,” Bahçeli said, accusing Özel of sympathising with YPG-linked groups and undermining Syria’s territorial integrity.

He dismissed Özel’s statements as incoherent and claimed the opposition leader was disturbed by Syria’s political and territorial consolidation.

Warning Against U.S. Strike on Iran

Turning to global affairs, Bahçeli warned that the international system established after World War II was collapsing and that rising geopolitical tensions threatened global stability.

He said a potential U.S. military strike on Iran, allegedly encouraged by Israel, would be “imperialist vandalism” and unacceptable under international law.

“After Venezuela, targeting Iran would invite catastrophe,” Bahçeli said, warning that military intervention aimed at installing compliant leadership would have devastating consequences.

He called instead for diplomacy between Washington and Tehran, praising Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for efforts to de-escalate tensions and mediate between parties.

“Iran’s security, like Syria’s, is a cornerstone of regional stability,” Bahçeli said. “A war that expands to include Iran would turn nightmare scenarios into reality.”

“Turkey Cannot Afford Another Regional War”

Bahçeli said mediation efforts involving Qatar and Turkey should be intensified and warned that the Middle East could not withstand another large-scale conflict.

He argued that dialogue, not force, was the only viable path forward and that destabilising Iran would trigger cascading crises across the region.

“MHP Will Not Deviate From Its Path”

Concluding his speech, Bahçeli said the MHP would remain committed to its ideological course and the long-term vision of what he called a “Super Power Turkey.”

“Sovereignty, development, and national unity are not slogans but responsibilities,” he said, adding that Turkey had the capacity to become a pillar of stability across Eurasia and Africa.

He said politics should be a means of service, not personal ambition, and pledged that the MHP and the People’s Alliance would not compromise their principles for short-term gain.

Turkish press sources

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