03.11.2026 23:02
Ahmet Türk called MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli by phone following the death of Bahçeli's sister Serpil Bahçeli. During the call, Türk conveyed his condolences to Bahçeli.
Ahmet Türk, who was removed from his post as Mayor of Mardin Metropolitan Municipality, called MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli by telephone and conveyed his condolences over the death of his sister Serpil Bahçeli. The phone call between the two figures also brought to mind their past contacts and Bahçeli’s calls for Ahmet Türk to return to his post.
Ahmet Türk called Devlet Bahçeli and conveyed his condolences over the death of his sister Serpil Bahçeli. Serpil Bahçeli was buried in the family cemetery at Osmaniye Asri Cemetery on November 2 after the afternoon prayer. Serpil Bahçeli, who retired after working in the banking sector, had lived in the same house with her brother Devlet Bahçeli in Ankara for many years.
FIRST PHONE CALL IN 2017
The history of contacts between Devlet Bahçeli and Ahmet Türk goes back to 2017. Bahçeli had said that Ahmet Türk, who was arrested in 2016 and had health problems, should be tried without detention so that he could receive treatment.
After Türk was released on February 3, 2017, the two spoke by telephone on February 22. In this conversation, Ahmet Türk thanked Bahçeli for his humanitarian call regarding him during his detention. MHP Deputy Chairman Semih Yalçın had stated that they also asked about each other’s health during the conversation.
HE HAD DESCRIBED THREE SEPARATE CONTACTS WITH BAHÇELI
In an interview he gave on February 25, 2026, Ahmet Türk stated that they had held a private meeting with Bahçeli in the past and had spoken by telephone twice.
Türk recounted that one of the phone calls took place when Bahçeli called him on the occasion of Berat Kandili. In the other conversation, he said that he requested from Bahçeli that the Mürşitpınar Border Gate be opened for the passage of aid trucks planned to be sent to Kobani, and that the MHP leader said he would look into the matter.
Evaluating Bahçeli’s statements about himself, Türk also said, “Bahçeli’s assessments are very important to us,” and stated that in order to achieve peace, the trustee policy must be abandoned.
“AHMETLER TO OFFICE” CALL
In a speech at his party’s group meeting on February 3, 2026, Bahçeli used the expressions, “Our decision is clear until Anatolia returns to peace, Öcalan to hope, the Ahmets to office, and Demirtaş to his home.” These words were interpreted as a call for the removed Ahmet Türk and Ahmet Özer to return to their posts.
However, despite Bahçeli’s statement, the trustee practice in Mardin did not end. Ahmet Türk, who won the Mardin Metropolitan Municipality Mayoralty with 57.4 percent of the vote in the March 31, 2024 local elections, was removed from office on November 4, 2024, and Mardin Governor Tuncay Akkoyun was appointed as trustee in his place.
On November 3, 2026, the Ministry of Interior extended the trustee’s term of office by another two months. Thus, it was announced that Ahmet Türk would not be able to return to his post until at least January 4, 2027.