Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), a member of the government’s People’s Alliance, condemned Israel’s attacks in Lebanon and stressed that Tel Aviv was giving a “message” to Türkiye, one of the most vocal critics of the Netanyahu administration.
Addressing his party’s lawmakers at Parliament in the capital Ankara on Tuesday, Bahçeli also decried inaction of Islamic countries against Israel’s attacks in Gaza and Lebanon.
“Gaza is under attack for 360 days. Except for Türkiye and a few other countries, we have not seen a will to oppose, stop the attacks. The war everybody is talking about has already begun. I wonder where Islamic countries are hiding and when the torch of unity will be lit,” Bahçeli said.
“Israel continues its systematic cruelty in Gaza and West Bank and at the same time, rains down bombs on Lebanon, Yemen and Syria. It is an out-of-control rogue state. The Israel terrorist state plagues the entire Middle East. You cannot deny that its attacks are a message to Türkiye,” Bahçeli said.
Ankara often highlights the danger of spillover of the Palestine-Israel conflict to regional conflicts and eventually, to its borders. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan repeatedly said the Netanyahu administration pursued expansionist policies in its attacks. Türkiye and Israel severed already deteriorated ties after a new round of the Palestine-Israel conflict began in October 2023. Since then, Tel Aviv and Ankara trade barbs, with Israeli officials occasionally threatening President Erdoğan. Türkiye has a lengthy border with Syria where Israel launched strikes recently, as close as to Damascus. Türkiye is also a target of Israel whose intelligence agency recruited operatives to spy on Palestinians in Türkiye as several investigations by Turkish authorities revealed.
Bahçeli had harsh words for Netanyahu in his speech, especially for the latter’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly last week.
“After our president's speech at the United Nations General Assembly, where he became the voice of the silent millions and the advocate of justice and rights, how could the representatives of countries that boast of democracy, freedom and human rights tolerate the vile threats made by the murderer Netanyahu?” he said. “The butcher who ordered (Hezbollah leader) Nasrallah's execution, even before stepping to the podium, is so brazen as to exploit the bloodshed in the U.N. General Assembly,” he added.
Bahçeli repeated President Erdoğan’s call for reforms at the U.N. to stop Israel and other countries from contravening international law. He said the U.N. Security Council’s functional structure must be changed.
He also urged Ankara to take further steps for normalization with Syria in light of Israel’s attacks. “(Officials of) Türkiye and Syria must meet without further delay on the grounds of cooperation and reconciliation, while our security forces remain alert to the widespread threats posed by Israel and its supporters,” he said.
