What is being discussed in AKP lobbies after Bahçeli's Öcalan call: 'Erdoğan is treading carefully...'

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli's call for the leader of the terrorist organization PKK, Abdullah Öcalan, to "speak in Parliament" and the accompanying proposal for him to benefit from the right to hope continue to occupy the agenda.

While Bahçeli reiterated his proposal at his party's group meeting on November 26, this time he did not call for Öcalan to be brought to Parliament, but rather called for the DEM Party to go to İmralı.

Following Bahçeli's call, the DEM Party took action and applied to the Ministry of Justice to visit İmralı.

AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for his part, took care to maintain his silence during this one-month period. Although he stated that he had no disagreement with Bahçeli and that the call was a 'historic opportunity,' he never made a clear statement until November 27.

On November 27, without directly addressing the issue, Erdoğan said that they were in full agreement with Bahçeli, that they kept their doors open to all proposals, and that they were evaluating them with a cool head.

“ERDOĞAN IS TREADING CAREFULLY…”

Sharing the behind-the-scenes developments in her column, Gazete Pencere writer Nuray Babacan reported that Erdoğan’s recent statements of support are considered ‘balanced and cautious’ by those who know him, and that comments are being made that ‘lessons have been learned from the past, and he is treading carefully.’

“THE MHP LEADER IS DETERMINED…”

Reminding that the MHP leader has met and spoken with some AKP members during this process, Nuray Babacan included striking details in her article, stating, “The impression gained from these meetings is that Bahçeli is extremely determined regarding this mission he has undertaken and that he will go all the way, even if it costs him his political life.”

“THE ‘ANNOUNCEMENT’ REACHED ITS GOAL…”

Expressing that Bahçeli was uncomfortable with the AKP administration's hesitant approach and lack of clear support, and that he had voiced his grievances, Babacan continued:

“The removal of the ‘subliminal announcement’ from the MHP's official social media account, which read ‘the time has come, the subject is the homeland…’, is based on a successful meeting held with the President. It is being said that after the expected support was given behind closed doors, the ‘announcement’ reached its goal.

The latest polls are coming in like the first ones. The AKP base is not happy with this new path drawn by the alliance. Support from the East and Southeast regions continues. Leading figures in the party comment, ‘If results are achieved over time and positive outcomes are seen, the negative view of the citizens will also change.’

As you can see, the mood in the AKP lobbies over the last week is like a mehter band, two steps forward and one step back… The process of understanding and waiting continues…”

The relevant section from Nuray Babacan’s article titled ‘Those dragged into the process! A Tuesday adjustment to the alliance’ is as follows:

"Returning to Bahçeli's expectations regarding the AKP members concerning the solution process. Let us recall that the MHP leader has met and spoken with some AKP members during this process. The impression gained from these meetings is that Bahçeli is extremely determined regarding this mission he has undertaken and that he will go all the way, even if it costs him his political life.

Furthermore, it is also reported that Bahçeli was uncomfortable with the AKP administration's hesitant approach and lack of clear support, and that he had voiced his grievances. The removal of the ‘subliminal announcement’ from the MHP's official social media account, which read ‘the time has come, the subject is the homeland…’, is based on a successful meeting held with the President. It is being said that after the expected support was given behind closed doors, the ‘announcement’ reached its goal.

The latest polls are coming in like the first ones. The AKP base is not happy with this new path drawn by the alliance. Support from the East and Southeast regions continues. Leading figures in the party comment, “If results are achieved over time and positive outcomes are seen, the negative view of the citizens will also change.”

As you can see, the mood in the AKP lobbies over the last week is like a mehter band, two steps forward and one step back… The process of understanding and waiting continues…"