Internal dissent within the MHP over support for the changes to the constitution has led to stark divisions within the party, which could alter Turkey’s political landscape.
- The MHP’s support allowed the government to bring the proposed changes to the constitution to referendum, which has created some dissent within the party.
- The MHP has removed several of its dissident MPs from the party and has sought to prevent them from voicing their opposition.
- The internal strife may impact the party’s popularity or lead to a change in leadership but so far the party is still largely intact.
The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leadership’s controversial decision to support the proposed changes to the constitution has caused divisions within the party. The party’s leader Devlet Bahceli lent his support to the changes, providing the government with the votes needed to pass the motion to put the changes to a referendum, by urging his party members to vote ‘yes’. The changes to the constitution are a long-term project of current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his allies, and critics have claimed that the changes would give Erdogan excessive powers. The other two main opposition parties, the Republican People’s Party and the Peoples’ Democratic Party are campaigning against the changes. Bahceli has faced criticism from within his party on a number of levels for…
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Photo credit: memular.net
30 March 2017