A power struggle within the police? 'MHP is objecting at such a high volume for the first time' The debate over the shadow of Süleyman Soylu!

With a decree published on September 11 under the signature of President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the police chiefs of 37 provinces were removed from their posts, and 22 high-ranking police officials were reassigned to headquarters. Following the changes, the purging of figures particularly close to the MHP drew attention.

While Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya's recent remark about "incompetent ambitious people" was interpreted as a reference to former Minister Süleyman Soylu, the changes in the Police Department fueled debates over "Soylu–Yerlikaya tension" and a "new parallel structure."

FIGURES CLOSE TO BAHÇELİ REMOVED FROM DUTY

According to information shared by Sözcü columnist Saygı Öztürk, among those removed from their posts is Special Operations Department Head Süleyman Karadeniz. It was alleged that a photograph taken of Karadeniz while he was kissing the hand of MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli was influential in this purge.

Furthermore, the reassignment of Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime (KOM) Department Head Şükrü Yaman and his deputy Oğuzhan Yonca to headquarters in the decree caused a reaction in MHP circles. Recalling that the police chief who interrogated Abdullah Öcalan in 1999 was also removed from his post, Öztürk assessed that "figures close to the MHP are being systematically neutralized."

In a statement to Öztürk, a police officer said, "Those who were removed fought against FETÖ during the most difficult period. Being sidelined now both alienates them and breaks the motivation of those who remain."

The justification for the removals was not shared with the public. Stating that some appointments were not based on objective criteria, Öztürk cited examples such as "a chief whose son was found to have ByLock being brought to a higher position, while individuals whose siblings are known to be FETÖ members are being promoted."

THE DEBATE OVER SOYLU'S SHADOW

Öztürk brought up the claim that former Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu still maintains his influence over the police and gendarmerie:

"You would think it is still Süleyman Soylu, not Minister Ali Yerlikaya."

REACTION FROM THE MHP

Halk TV columnist İsmail Saymaz shared information he obtained from MHP backchannels. According to Saymaz, the number of police officials who lost their positions in the decree and are known to be close to the MHP has reached 7.

Some officials within the MHP made insinuations that the family members of the removed individuals might have FETÖ connections. Saymaz assessed that "For the first time, the MHP is objecting to Yerlikaya's choices at such a high volume."