Newsletters
Türkiye's Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli stated Tuesday that forming an Israeli government including Arab parties would be "an important and historic step," urging U.S. President Donald Trump and international Jewish organizations to back an inclusive government.
"The Israeli elections showed that no political party obtained a majority to govern the country, practically splitting Israeli politics down the middle. The strong position obtained by Arab parties in this picture has been a remarkable development," Bahceli told his party’s parliamentary group meeting.
"In this framework, the formation of a government that includes Arab parties would be an important and historic step for Israeli politics. Such a step would not only contribute to Israel’s social peace but could also create new opportunities for strengthening regional peace and stability," he added.
The nationalist leader said the results show that a significant segment of Israeli society’s stance toward the Netanyahu government’s Gaza and Palestine policies must be carefully assessed, adding that "an important opportunity has emerged for Israel."
Support from Trump and international Jewish organizations for a government encompassing all of Israel’s people would enable "a new, positive stage" in peace efforts for Palestine and help resolve conflicts including in Iran and Yemen, he said.
"An executive in Israel where different elements are represented will reduce polarization between Jewish and Muslim peoples and contribute to a culture of compromise," Bahceli said. "This historic step would be an important investment in the peace and stability of the future."
Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats in last week’s election, the opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot 48 and Arab parties a record 19.
Bahceli welcomed the Libyan House of Representatives' (HoR) Oct. 20 approval of the Türkiye-Libya maritime memorandum and criticized reactions from Greece, the Greek Cypriot administration (GCA), Israel and the EU.
"All officials in Brussels must understand that wagging a finger at Türkiye, which has the power and will to make and implement decisions fully independently and solely in line with its own interests, setting its direction or giving instructions about what it can and cannot do, is not within anyone’s capacity, Europe’s included," he said.
"Neither Türkiye nor Libya is obliged to act in line with their expectations and demands," the nationalist leader noted.
Bahceli said the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement (MJDA), signed Aug. 7, should be used against Houthi attacks. "All means must be mobilized within the framework of this agreement’s provisions to end Houthi aggression and prevent civilian casualties," he said.
He said the pact was strengthened by the Badr Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed Oct. 21 in Doha by Türkiye, Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia on joint defense production, research and technology sharing.
Bahceli also hailed an Oct. 23 meeting in Istanbul of the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia with those of Germany, the U.K., France and Italy as a sign of Türkiye’s multilateral diplomacy.
Referring to violent protests in France and elsewhere, Bahceli said Europe was reaping what it sowed. "Europe, which has long sought political gain by stoking Islamophobia and Turkophobia through anti-immigrant sentiment, has begun to see the seeds of discord it sowed turn back on itself," he said.
"Europe appears to have no strength left to pedal," he added, invoking the saying that Europe is like a bicycle that falls if it stops.
He also welcomed the Iraqi prime minister’s statement that bringing weapons under state control is irreversible, saying it signaled the "Terror-Free Region" goal would continue to bear fruit, as he called for Arab parties to be included in Israel’s next government.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
2 min read
1 min read
