MHP leader Bahçeli makes statement likely to anger Mehmet Şimşek: Will he support a minimum wage hike?

MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli attended the 'Training Program for Ülkü Ocakları Provincial Presidents' held at a hotel in Ankara Kızılcahamam.

SUPPORT FOR A MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE

Bahçeli chatted with journalists after the program. When asked by members of the press about Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan's statement that 'there will be no interim hike in the minimum wage,' Bahçeli replied, "Raising the welfare level of people who earn minimum wage should be the primary duty of every person living in this country. Therefore, when such proposals come forward, we will provide the necessary contributions."

STRAY DOG ISSUE

Regarding the question asked about the stray dog issue, Bahçeli stated, "It will be addressed in Parliament to produce a solution."

'DEM' RESPONSE TO CHP LEADER ÖZEL

When reminded that different answers were received to the questions he asked CHP Chairman Özgür Özel at the group meeting in recent days, Bahçeli said, "It is an expression of avoiding the question. Instead of answering our questions, diverting to other topics is a sign of avoiding the answer or being afraid of DEM."

RESPONSE REGARDING RETIRED GENERALS

Responding to a journalist's question about retired generals commenting on television, Bahçeli said the following:

"One must be limited in responsibility when defending ideas. I expressed this today as well. It is not right to talk about everything, everywhere, every day. It is not right for people who have served in the armed forces for many years and who know many events very closely—or rather, people who have lived through them—to attempt to interpret their experiences within a political mold. If there is high experience, they should transfer this experience to the people who are struggling and help them in a healthier, more result-oriented struggle. When everyone is talking on television, the person who did their military service for 4 months talks, the person who worked for 20 years talks, the general talks, the colonel talks, and nothing comes of it."

RAISI SEARCH OPERATIONS

When asked about the claims that the Akıncı drone, which carried out search and rescue operations following the helicopter crash involving the Iranian President, was 'not national and did not find the location of the helicopter,' Bahçeli stated, "I do not agree with that. We are not going to learn from Iran what Turkey knows. Turkey has provided a service and achieved results with it. One should be proud. It is not right to question Turkey through others, to see the government as inadequate, or to ignore the people who are struggling. There is nothing they find justified in Turkey's services. Such long-term hostility toward Turkey is not right either; it ruins people's health. The Akıncı drones went, found them, and brought them out."

"WERE WE SUPPOSED TO PICK FLOWERS?"

When asked about the discussions regarding the Ülkü Ocakları, Bahçeli noted the following:

"One should not upset or hurt the Ülkü Ocakları. They should not be suffocated with slanders. They should not be distorted from their true purpose. We are trying to create an environment where our young friends can grow up. We are tasked with preparing the youth for the future, not the past, in light of our assessment. We have been saying this for a long time; we advised them to put down weapons and turn to computers. We came through those periods by living them. Now, those who start unnecessary discussions over the Ülkü Ocakları and spread slander are appearing on television and starting to talk about the Ülkü Ocakları without using any expression about what kind of mistakes the youth of their own era made. This is not right. Now, you need to evaluate this sentence well, there is no need to distort it. The phrase 'one in occupation, one in boycott' has carried youth movements in Turkey to very extreme dimensions. One must consider the owner of this sentence, those who were with this sentence, and their ability to manage Turkey, and start from where the starting point was. Social democrats preferred boycotts and walked the streets. Revolutionaries represented brute force and engaged in occupations. So who were the ones doing the boycotting and occupying? After they did this, what were we supposed to do? Were we supposed to pick flowers?"

News Source: İHA