20.01.2026 11:30
In a previous statement, MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli referred to the minimum pension raised to 20,000 lira as a "poverty wage." Today, he made a striking statement regarding the issue in the party group. Bahçeli, who emphasized that he stands by his words until the end, said, "The Nationalist Movement Party is a partner of the People's Alliance, but it is not a partner of the government."
Last week, MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, who stated regarding the minimum pension, which was raised to 20 thousand lira, "We cannot be at ease while they are suffering; we must raise them to at least a level where they can live with dignity, not a poverty wage. We stand by our retirees until the end," also used striking expressions in today's party group.
"I STAND BEHIND MY WORDS" MESSAGE
Bahçeli, who said, "As you may recall, in my group speech last week, I brought up the issue of not condemning our brothers who receive the lowest pension to a poverty wage, and at least raising them to a level where they can live with dignity; I repeat this without 'but' or 'however.' We stand behind our words until the end and we are with our retirees," added, "Whatever we have said, we do; whatever we have done, we explain and take ownership of. We cannot comprehend the internal struggles of the CHP, the cycle of corruption and bribery, the realms of drugs and gambling, the unknown sources, and their problematic politics. Because in our minds and thoughts, there is always Turkey, there is always the Turkish nation."
"WE ARE ALLIES BUT..."
Continuing his words, Bahçeli stated that the Nationalist Movement Party is a partner of the People's Alliance but not a partner in power, saying, "As an alliance partner, it is our political morality to support the decisions taken by the Presidential Cabinet in good faith, in line with the budget opportunities for the development of Turkey and the peace and prosperity of our nation, and we are doing this. We do not engage in trivial matters, nor do we listen to the noise of pots and pans; as a rooted political party, we are thinking deeply about economic and social issues."
HARSH WORDS FOR ÖZGÜR ÖZEL
Bahçeli also addressed the remarks of CHP Chairman Özgür Özel regarding retirees, stating, "The CHP Chairman Özgür Özel's remarks about retirees have once again backfired on him. With his latest speech in Hatay, he aimed to sow discord within the People's Alliance and set up a scheme of discord over our retirees. If we do not support their proposals, they would accuse us of not standing by retirees; to this sweet-water cunning person, I say forget these things, we will not support your proposal, we will not fall for your tricks, and we will not yield to your beautiful tactics. If you have any work aimed at solving Turkey's problems, share it with us so we can see; we do not waste our time, we do not fish in murky waters, we do not count camel tracks in the desert. As opportunities increase, the situation of our retirees will also improve; we believe that with national unity and solidarity, our tomorrows will be much stronger and more prosperous than today. While the CHP is making empty claims, the Nationalist Movement Party is producing economic and social policies to provide a permanent solution to the livelihood issues of our citizens," he stated.