Bahçeli Reacts Against ‘State System’ Statement 3 Days Before Referendum

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Reacting against President’s chief advisor Şükrü Karatepe’s article on “state system”, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chair Devlet Bahçeli has said, “The president remains silent before this statement. If he approves this, then what can be decision of the nationalists who are against the state system within two days”.

Official statement on Twitter

The MHP on its official Twitter account shared the message, “We will say yes on April 16 for the nation, for the state, for the continuity of Turkishness”.

Behçeli: I would discharge him if he were my advisor

About this article, Bahçeli said:

“Now an advisor stands and speaks about the state system. People issuing such statement do either sabotage goal of the Justice and Development Party or assigned through an inner deal. Time will tell which one it is. Now if the president’s advisor says ‘We will implement state system’ and the president remains silent against this, then what can be the decision of the nationalists who are against the state system within two days”.

In response to the question whether he conveyed these ideas of himself to the president, Bahçeli said, “No, it is meaningless to hide it, nor is there a need for me to say this to him. President and Prime Minister follow everything closely”.

Erdoğan: Mind what I say, I have never said such a thing

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on joint live broadcast of TGRT Haber, Beyaz TV and TV Net said, “My advisor made a statement, they twisted this statement. Moreover, he issued statements to correct it in different ways. Mind what I say, have you ever heard me saying such a thing? No”.

Bahçeli had declared he would vote in favor of the constitutional amendment change in April 16 referendum. (NV/TK)