Barzani's visit to Şırnak turns into a crisis: Another reaction to Ali Yerlikaya comes from the MHP! Is his seat shaking?

The symposium attended by former KRG President Masoud Barzani in Şırnak has caused a crisis in Ankara.

The event was accompanied by uniformed, maroon-beret peshmerga armed with long-barreled weapons.

The presence of armed peshmerga during this visit by Barzani was met with significant backlash, particularly regarding Turkey's sovereign rights.

MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli described the armed peshmerga present at the symposium in Şırnak as "a disgrace, in a word."

Bahçeli stated that the presence of foreign uniformed soldiers walking on national soil with long-barreled weapons is a violation of the Republic of Turkey's sovereign rights and characterized the situation as "a premeditated attack on the reputation of the Republic of Turkey."

Following the reactions, the Ministry of Interior launched an investigation and assigned two inspectors to the incident. The Ministry is conducting examinations regarding the presence of the armed peshmerga who attended Barzani's event.

Prof. Dr. Ruhi Ersoy, Chief Advisor to MHP Chairman Bahçeli, emphasized in his statements following the incident that there were shortcomings in the management of the process.

Ersoy stated that the responsibility for the recent public order issues and the emergence of images from the Şırnak symposium that disturbed the national conscience lies with those who could not manage the process. Ersoy used the expression, "Even if those who cannot manage the process find a low-level culprit and close the matter, the truth will continue to stand there!"

Targeting Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, Ersoy argued that a mentality that sets the agenda according to the instant "like" levels of social media has become the object, rather than the subject, of events. He said, "It is essential for decision-makers in state offices to adopt an approach based on common-sense analysis, strategic foresight, and evaluation, rather than acting according to the temporary waves of social media."

A DIG AT YERLIKAYA FROM MHP'S İSMAİL ÖZDEMİR

MHP Deputy Chairman İsmail Özdemir made harsh criticisms directed at Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. In a post on his social media account on September 14, 2025, Özdemir stated, "Instead of a mindset that sees sharing statistical data as its duty, it is necessary to have a will that protects HEROES and does not create weakness."

Özdemir's words were interpreted as a dig at Yerlikaya's frequent sharing of statistics reached by units under the Ministry of Interior in the fight against crime.

CHANGES IN POLICE BUREAUCRACY SPARK DEBATE

It was suggested that the background to Özdemir's statements lies in the changes made by the police decree published in the Official Gazette on September 11.

The most notable change was the removal of Special Operations President Süleyman Karadeniz from his post and his appointment as the Muğla Provincial Police Chief. Karadeniz had drawn attention by kissing the hand of MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli on the 8th anniversary of the July 15 coup attempt.

MHP Chief Advisor Yıldıray Çiçek, in his article in the Türkgün newspaper, stated that with the latest decree, the balances within the police bureaucracy and the People's Alliance have begun to be debated again.

Çiçek said, "The claims coming from the MHP wing that 'nationalist police officers are being purged' and warnings of a 'new parallel structure' show that the tension between the ruling partners is becoming more visible."