Bahçeli's ceasefire contradiction... 'Satisfactory' a week ago, 'inappropriate' today: Is there a crisis in the new opening process?
MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, in his statement regarding the terrorist organization PKK's ceasefire decision, said, 'This has not been an appropriate statement.' However, Bahçeli's assessment of the messages coming from Qandil a week ago as 'satisfactory' has raised questions about a change in rhetoric. Here are the details...
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MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli harshly criticized the PKK's declaration of a ceasefire following the call by PKK ringleader Abdullah Öcalan. In his statement today, Bahçeli opposed the process, stating, "The ceasefire statement is not a correct, balanced, or appropriate statement."
However, the striking point was that the MHP leader had given positive messages regarding the same process a week ago.
The developments, which are considered a new resolution process, began with the call Bahçeli made in the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) on October 22. In the later stages of the process, terrorist leader Öcalan called on the PKK to lay down its arms through the Imrali Delegation, and the organization announced that it had declared a ceasefire as of March 1.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also gave a message supporting the process in his statement on February 28, saying, "As of yesterday, a new phase has been entered in the efforts for a Turkey without terrorism."
A WEEK AGO: 'SATISFACTORY'
In his written statement on March 1, Bahçeli evaluated the PKK's ceasefire decision as a positive development and used the following expressions:
"The PKK terrorist organization has been called upon by its founding leader after 47 years to dissolve its organizational structure. The statements made from Qandil are supportive and complementary to this call; indeed, they are satisfactory. Achieving results through terror is a pipe dream. The call has been made to all components of the separatist organization; compliance and success will add strength to Turkey's power in the new century, and will both make the thousand-year brotherhood more agile and strengthen it."
These expressions showed that Bahçeli supported the process and welcomed the statements from Qandil.
CEASEFIRE STATEMENT FROM BAHÇELİ: 'NOT APPROPRIATE'
However, it was observed that the MHP leader displayed a completely different attitude in his statement today. Stating that the ceasefire was unacceptable, Bahçeli used the following expressions:
"The Turkish nation is neither condemned, nor obliged, nor deserving of living with terror. The PKK terrorist organization and its affiliated groups must immediately and unconditionally lay down their arms and even surrender their bloody weapons to the Republic of Turkey. The ceasefire statement is not a correct, balanced, or appropriate statement. Because there is absolutely no moral, logical, legitimate, or legal environment that is the scene of mutual relations and struggle between equal and sovereign powers to speak of a ceasefire regime. Contrary to this, every proposal to be made and every word to be said is a one-sided stalling tactic and is futile."