The leader of the Nationalist Movement Party of Turkey (MHP), Devlet Bahceli, speaking at a meeting of his party's group at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, in Ankara, Jan. 14, 2020. (Credit: Adem Altan/AFP)
An outstretched hand carries heavy symbolism and promise. After Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered his speech marking the return to Parliament on Oct. 1, his main ally, Devlet Bahçeli, approached the pro-Kurdish deputies of the Democratic Regions Party (DEM) to shake their hands. This gesture was unprecedented for the leader of the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), an ultra-nationalist group that forms part of the presidential majority and has historically been vocal in its opposition to the country’s third-largest political force, which is accused of being the political arm of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an entity considered terrorist by Ankara."We are entering a new period. If we seek peace in the world, we must first establish peace in our own country," Bahçeli explained in response to questions from journalists....
An outstretched hand carries heavy symbolism and promise. After Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered his speech marking the return to Parliament on Oct. 1, his main ally, Devlet Bahçeli, approached the pro-Kurdish deputies of the Democratic Regions Party (DEM) to shake their hands. This gesture was unprecedented for the leader of the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), an ultra-nationalist group that forms part of the presidential majority and has historically been vocal in its opposition to the country’s third-largest political force, which is accused of being the political arm of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an entity considered terrorist by Ankara."We are entering a new period. If we seek peace in the world, we must first establish peace in our own country," Bahçeli explained in response to questions from...