US rift among ruling partners: Striking NATO statement from Bahçeli

MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli continued his recent remarks regarding a potential alliance Turkey could form with Russia and China. President Erdoğan had limited his response to Bahçeli's Turkey-Russia-China (TRC) alliance proposal by saying, "May it be for the best." However, following Erdoğan's visit to the US, Bahçeli shifted gears on the issue and leveled harsh criticisms at NATO.

BAHÇELİ'S CALL TO "LOOK IN BOTH DIRECTIONS"

In his assessments, Bahçeli stated that if Turkey's NATO membership is limited only to protecting the country against internal threats and if NATO allies ignore Turkey's vital priorities, the time may come for Turkey to turn toward other alliances. "If NATO ignores Turkey, the time has come to look in both directions," Bahçeli said, indicating that Turkey would be open to alternative orientations in its foreign policy.

RESPONSE TO ERDOĞAN’S SILENCE

The MHP leader spoke for the first time following President Erdoğan's indifference toward the TRC alliance proposal. Recalling Erdoğan's response, "Honestly, I couldn't quite follow that, may it be for the best," Bahçeli emphasized that the MHP remains insistent on this matter. In these statements, Bahçeli also criticized the attitudes of NATO allies against Turkey's interests and drew attention to the importance of the rising reaction in public opinion.

Stating that Turkey must act with a domestic and national vision when determining its foreign policy and security, Bahçeli used the expression, "The time has come to look in both directions in a manner commensurate with Turkey's historical vision."

WHY A ‘TRC’ ALLIANCE

MHP Leader Devlet Bahçeli explained why he felt the need to make such a statement in light of the developments he described as follows:

Turkey has urgent security needs. Turkey is a state that desires the territorial integrity of its neighbors more than anyone else and pays the heaviest prices for this. It has the capacity to risk being left alone with all actors struggling against this through proxy war elements, petro-dollar politics, and lobbying. Furthermore, regional stability and security that are more permanent and long-lasting depend on the regional states being in solidarity and agreeing on fundamental principles.

The Eurasia region has been a field of struggle throughout history. Certain parts of this area have been referred to in history as the pivot region, pilot region, or heartland. However, there has been no doubt that dominance over Eurasia is the most important stage of dominance over the world.

Eurasia is a combination of Europe and Asia. At its center lies the Caspian Basin. The Caspian Basin is a completely adjacent area for Turkey. Turkey is the transit country for the hydrocarbon resources flowing from this basin. It receives influence from here and exerts influence here.

On the other hand, the world's economic production has shifted to the east, to the Far East. Total production in countries such as Japan, China, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Pakistan, and even Vietnam has exceeded and multiplied the total production in Western countries. It does not seem possible for this to be reversed for now. Asian production, which previously manifested itself in limited areas and imitation products, has now reached a form that includes the highest quality and most technology-intensive products.

In the northern sector of the world, Russia continues its existence as a military and political power despite all the upheavals. It has demands from the West such as "not expanding NATO, no military buildups on Russian borders, and no harm to the assets of Russians outside Russia." Of course, these demands do not justify the occupation of Ukrainian territory. However, it is known to everyone that there is a more multi-dimensional West-Russia struggle behind the scenes."