Pro-government columnist's striking remarks on Devlet Bahçeli: 'They ask how he can do this! Yet...'
Ahmet Hakan, Editor-in-Chief of Hürriyet, known for his proximity to the government, showered praise on MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli following his meeting with a DEM Party delegation.
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Following the call from MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, the DEM Party, which had previously visited Imralı to meet with Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the terrorist organization PKK, has begun its Imralı tour in the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM). The DEM Party delegation, consisting of Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Pervin Buldan, and Ahmet Türk, visited first the Speaker of the Parliament Numan Kurtulmuş and then MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli.
Ahmet Hakan, Editor-in-Chief of Hürriyet, known for his proximity to the government, used words of praise for MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli following these developments.
“He set out on this path risking everything. He risked the danger. He risked being criticized. He risked facing backlash. He risked being subjected to cheap populism. He set out on this path so that a bloody anomaly that has been going on for half a century could be buried in the dusty pages of history. Kudos to Devlet Bahçeli,” said Ahmet Hakan, adding, “They said and are still saying, ‘How can a nationalist leader do this?’ Yet, a nationalist leader is exactly who does this. Because true nationalism is the ability to take substantial steps toward solving a problem that has plagued the nation for half a century. It is about abandoning set patterns. It is about taking risks. It is about having courage.”
Continuing his remarks by saying, “If the desired result comes from this path, we will owe a debt of gratitude to Devlet Bahçeli. If the desired result does not come from this path... we will say, ‘At least he tried,’” Hakan concluded his article with the following words:
“This is a pristine path that will never be dirtied and can never be dirtied. A thousand greetings to Devlet Bahçeli, who opened this path.”
The relevant section from Ahmet Hakan’s article titled ‘Kudos to Devlet Bahçeli’ is as follows:
That Devlet Bahçeli...
He set out on a path so that more blood would not be shed, so that we could get rid of the scourge of terrorism, and so that Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood would be further strengthened.
He set out on this path risking everything.
He risked the danger. He risked being criticized. He risked facing backlash. He risked being subjected to cheap populism.
He set out on this path so that a bloody anomaly that has been going on for half a century could be buried in the dusty pages of history.
Kudos to Devlet Bahçeli
By drawing endless lessons from the steps taken for this purpose before.
Meaning, by staying away from give-and-take bargaining.
He set out on this path with the sole goal of “the dissolution of the terrorist organization.”
“How can a nationalist leader do this?” they said, they are saying.
Yet, a nationalist leader is exactly who does this.
Because true nationalism is the ability to take substantial steps toward solving a problem that has plagued the nation for half a century.
It is about abandoning set patterns. It is about taking risks. It is about having courage.
If the desired result comes from this path...
We will owe a debt of gratitude to Devlet Bahçeli.
If the desired result does not come from this path...
We will say, “At least he tried.”
This is a pristine path that will never be dirtied and can never be dirtied.
A thousand greetings to Devlet Bahçeli, who opened this path.