Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahceli urged national unity beyond sectarian and ethnic divisions, called for the official recognition of 'cemevis' as houses of worship, and sharply condemned Israel over the war in Gaza in a speech to his party’s parliamentary group on Tuesday.
He argued for a politics rooted in virtue: "Peace instead of war, embrace instead of polarization, cohesion instead of fracture, dialogue instead of friction, cooperation instead of exploitation, equality instead of privilege, justice instead of double standards, and free will instead of pressure."
Bahceli warned against attempts to provoke ethnic and sectarian rifts, saying there were "internal and external enemy fronts” seeking to trigger Turkish-Kurdish separation and escalate the Alawite-Sunni divide. "Those who object to faith and freedom of belief, who mock and provoke, are either deprived of conscience or provocateurs acting as agents,” he said.
"Just as mosques are ours, cemevis are ours," Bahceli said, adding, "Cem is ours, semah is ours, and the obligations of faith and Islam are ours."
He cited the opening of the first stage of the Horasan Erenleri Dergahi Cemevi Complex in Nevsehir’s Hacibektas district, describing it as "the largest cemevi project in Türkiye and the world," built on about 6,000 square meters, and said it coincided with the 754th anniversary of Haci Bektas Veli’s passing.
Bahceli said a cease-fire regime between Israel and Hamas was established on Oct. 10, 2025, following 738 days of “violence and terror,” and that “positive developments” had begun in prisoner exchanges, humanitarian aid, and withdrawals of Israeli soldiers in the first stage of the agreement.
He cautioned that the core issue was implementation and adherence to commitments: “Against Israel’s unreliable military and political posture, acting cautiously and prudently is an unavoidable necessity.”
“Since Oct. 7, 2023, the most dramatic and grave war and genocide crime in history was committed by Israel,” he said. “This crime cannot go unpunished. Sooner or later, the prime minister of Israel and the vandals who share responsibility in the genocide will be held to account before global justice and conscience.”
He said Türkiye’s participation in an International Mission and Stability Force, envisioned to ensure “civil, diplomatic and technical coordination,” would contribute to regional calm.
Bahceli criticized the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman Ozgur Ozel, accusing him of “insulting our country” abroad and targeting the government.
He said, "The address and place of an opposition politician who pours insults on Türkiye in foreign countries and slanders the elected president is, I suppose, any country outside ours."
Bahceli said Ozel's claim at a rally in Brussels that "the government started working for Trump" is an example of immoral and unpatriotic politics that tramples Türkiye underfoot.
He criticized “irresponsible slogans” in Parliament and objected to the phrase “young corpses” for fallen soldiers: “Martyrs are not corpses; they are our heroes, our spiritual guardians.”
"Everyone must meticulously ensure that the goal of a ‘Terror-Free Türkiye’ is not disrupted,” he said, urging avoidance of “maximalist demands” and “irresponsible and accusatory language."
He added, "Apart from the Feb. 27 Imrali statement, no word, thesis, proposal or evaluation has any validity."
Bahçeli said he expected the legislative year to raise the bar on social and economic reforms: "It is our duty to add food to our nation’s food, jobs to its work, and prosperity to its welfare."
He lastly called for the reopening of military hospitals: "As the Nationalist Movement Party, we expect military hospitals to be reactivated and will do our best on this issue."