April 4, 2011

MHP’s problem and future Turkish politics

İhsan Yılmaz

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli issued a written statement a few days ago and asked the Gülen movement to freeze its activities. It may sound shocking and implausible, but this is what he asked.

Given his past record with regards to abnormalities -- such as his prediction that in the year 2009, the MHP would come to power just because it was the MHP’s 40th anniversary and when one drops two zeros it was 29 and when 2 and 9 added together and added to 29 it was 40 -- one may be inclined to not take him seriously and to ignore his request to the movement. But I will try to analyze the factors why the MHP’s leader seems so distressed and disturbed.