Yeni Şafak columnist evaluates the 'opening process': Is there a problem in the People's Alliance?

Aydın Ünal, former speechwriter for President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, former AKP MP, and columnist for Yeni Şafak, argued that the statements made by MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli regarding Abdullah Öcalan have been misunderstood.

In his column titled "Öcalan will not be released, there is no problem in the People's Alliance," Ünal contended that the ground upon which Bahçeli's words are being debated is flawed.

Aydın Ünal wrote the following in his column:

"Neither the MHP nor the AK Party, that is, the People's Alliance, has any plan, project, policy, or goal on its agenda to 'release Öcalan.' It is unnecessary to even conduct a debate on this matter. There is no situation where the People's Alliance would collapse for this or any other reason."

Stating that Bahçeli made the most extreme promise as a form of challenge, knowing it would not be met, Ünal expressed that debating these statements on the wrong ground does not pose a realistic threat to the alliance.

"Thus, the promise of Öcalan getting out of prison and speaking in the TBMM, which was already impossible, has been eliminated," said Ünal, continuing his article as follows:

"Did President Erdoğan support this move by Bahçeli? There is no situation to support.

Did President Erdoğan object to this move by Bahçeli? There is no need to object to a challenge or a dare....

Let us write it again: Neither the MHP nor the AK Party, that is, the People's Alliance, has any plan, project, policy, or goal on its agenda to 'release Öcalan.'

There is no situation where the People's Alliance would collapse for this or any other reason. The most recent meeting between President Erdoğan and Bahçeli also shows that the alliance and harmony continue.

Let no one hold onto the hope that the alliance will collapse; and let no one try to muddy the waters by drawing wrong meanings from Bahçeli's words or by using Bahçeli's words as an excuse for their own desires."

News Source: 12punto