Bahçeli’s Grand Reversal: Pivot from “Noose” to “Coordinator”

Devlet Bahçeli’s proposal to grant Abdullah Öcalan the title of “Peace Process and Politicization Coordinator” represents perhaps the most significant ideological pivot in modern Turkish political history. For nearly three decades, Bahçeli’s political identity was anchored in an uncompromising, often violent rhetoric against Öcalan and the PKK.

By analyzing his historical statements against his 2026 “official duty” call, a pattern of extreme shift—often criticized as political hypocrisy—emerges.

The Historical Record: 20 Years of Hostility

1. The Hangman’s Noose (2007)

The most famous symbol of Bahçeli’s stance was the literal hangman’s noose. During the 2007 Erzurum rally, Bahçeli attacked the AKP for not executing Öcalan.

The Quote: “You didn’t hang him, you couldn’t hang him! … If you don’t have a rope, here, take this rope and hang him!”

The Act: He famously threw a physical rope into the crowd, signaling that the only “official duty” for Öcalan should be the death penalty.

2. Criminalizing Dialogue (2013–2015)

During the first Solution Process, Bahçeli branded any attempt at dialogue as “high treason.” He reserved his harshest vitriol for those suggesting Öcalan had a role in bringing peace.

The Quote (2013): “Sitting at the same table with the baby-killer [Öcalan] is a surrender of the Republic of Türkiye. Those who meet in İmralı are partners in bloodshed.”

The Critique: Bahçeli spent years labeling any politician who suggested a “political solution” as a terrorist sympathizer, creating a climate where dialogue was equated with betrayal.

3. The “Monster” of İmralı (2021)

Even as recently as the early 2020s, Bahçeli’s rhetoric remained focused on total isolation and the “annihilation” of the PKK’s influence.

The Quote (2021): “The terrorist chief in İmralı is a monster that must be silenced forever. There is no ‘Kurdish issue’ in Türkiye; there is only a terrorism problem.”

The 2026 Proposal: An Unprecedented Policy U-Turn

In a stunning departure from his “noose” rhetoric, Bahçeli now suggests that the same man he wanted to hang should lead a “Peace Process and Politicization Coordinatorship.“

The 2026 Calling:

“If there is a status gap for Öcalan, this gap should be handled in a way that serves the success of the Terror-Free Türkiye goal… Our wish is for the founding leadership of the PKK to serve under a definition.”

Devlet Bahçeli Kurdish Issue: Pragmatism or Hypocrisy?

Bahçeli is currently facing intense criticism for what many see as a complete abandonment of his core principles in pursuit of political survival within the People’s Alliance.

• Weaponizing Treason: For 20 years, Bahçeli used the “Kurdish Issue” as a cudgel to beat his opponents, often accusing the CHP and other parties of being “PKK-adjacent” for merely suggesting a parliamentary solution.

• The “Double Standard”: By now suggesting a formal “status” for Öcalan, Bahçeli is doing exactly what he previously defined as the ultimate act of treason.

• Lack of Accountability: Bahçeli has not addressed his past violent rhetoric or the “noose” incident, instead framing his current U-turn as a “national necessity.”

The irony is inescapable: The leader who built his legacy on the promise of ‘bringing the terrorist’s head’ to justice’ is now the same leader proposing to give that individual a desk, a title, and an official mission.

source: karar