Devlet Bahçeli facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Devlet Bahçeli
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Bahçeli in 2015
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| Leader of the Nationalist Movement Party | |
| Assumed office 6 July 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Muhittin Çolak (acting) |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey | |
| In office 28 May 1999 – 18 November 2002 |
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| Prime Minister | Bülent Ecevit |
| Served with | Hüsamettin Özkan Şükrü Sina Gürel Cumhur Ersümer Mesut Yılmaz |
| Preceded by | Hikmet Uluğbay |
| Succeeded by | Abdüllatif Şener |
| Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Interim |
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| In office 2 June 2023 – 7 June 2023 |
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| President | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |
| Preceded by | Mustafa Şentop |
| Succeeded by | Numan Kurtulmuş |
| Member of the Grand National Assembly | |
| Assumed office 22 July 2007 |
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| Constituency | Osmaniye (2007, 2011, June 2015, Nov 2015, 2018, 2023) |
| In office 19 April 1999 – 18 November 2002 |
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| Constituency | Osmaniye (1999) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 January 1948 Bahçe, Osmaniye, Turkey |
| Political party | Nationalist Movement Party |
| Alma mater | Gazi University |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Economist, academic |
| Signature |  |
Devlet Bahçeli (born 1 January 1948) is a Turkish politician and economist. He is the current leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). He also served as a deputy prime minister in the past. Many people see him as a very important figure in Turkish politics.
Mr. Bahçeli studied economics at Gazi University. He became the leader of the MHP in 1997 after the previous leader, Alparslan Türkeş, passed away. He was first elected to the Turkish Parliament in 1999, representing Osmaniye. From 1999 to 2002, he was a deputy prime minister in a government made of three different parties.
After his party did not get enough votes in the 2002 election, he stepped down as leader. However, he was re-elected in 2003. Since 2007, he and his party have been back in the Turkish Parliament.
In the 2000s and early 2010s, Mr. Bahçeli often disagreed with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. But after the MHP had a difficult election in November 2015, he became closer to Erdoğan. This led to some members leaving his party and forming a new one in 2017.
For the 2018 and 2019 elections, Mr. Bahçeli's party formed an alliance with President Erdoğan's party. This alliance is called the People's Alliance. The MHP continues to support President Erdoğan's government in the Parliament.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Devlet Bahçeli was born on 1 January 1948, in a town called Bahçe in the Osmaniye region of Turkey. He comes from a well-known family. His father, Salih Bahçeli, was a farmer and merchant.
School Days
He went to primary school in his hometown. For secondary school, he studied in Adana and then in İstanbul. He finished high school at Private Ata College in Etiler.
In 1967, he started studying at Gazi University and graduated in 1971. Some of his classmates later became well-known, including Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who became a political rival.
University and Teaching
After graduating, Mr. Bahçeli worked as an assistant in the economics department at Gazi University starting in 1972. He helped start and lead several student and academic groups during this time. He earned his doctorate in economics and continued to teach economic policy at the university until 1987. He was also very interested in Turkish history and foreign policy.
Start of Political Career
When he was young, Devlet Bahçeli attended talks given by Alparslan Türkeş, who was the leader of the party that later became the MHP. While he was a student in 1967, he helped start and manage youth groups that supported nationalist ideas. He also served as a general secretary for a national student union from 1970 to 1971.
After a military takeover in 1980, Mr. Bahçeli helped defend MHP members who were put in prison. In 1987, he left his teaching job when Alparslan Türkeş asked him to join party politics. He was then elected as a general secretary for the party. He held several important roles within the MHP over the years.
Leader of the MHP
After Alparslan Türkeş passed away in May 1997, the MHP held a special meeting to choose a new leader. Devlet Bahçeli ran against Türkeş's son, Tuğrul Türkeş. After some discussions, Devlet Bahçeli won and became the new chairman of the MHP.
Becoming Deputy Prime Minister
With Mr. Bahçeli as leader, the MHP gained many more votes in the 1999 election. They became the second-largest party in Turkey. Devlet Bahçeli then became a deputy prime minister in a government formed by three parties.
In July 2002, Mr. Bahçeli announced that his party would no longer support the government. He called for new elections to be held in November. He focused his campaign on improving Turkey's economy. However, in the 2002 election, the MHP did not get enough votes to have seats in parliament. Mr. Bahçeli resigned as chairman, saying he was responsible for the result. But he was re-elected as leader in the party's meeting in 2003.
In Opposition
Mr. Bahçeli was re-elected as MHP chairman in 2006. In the 2007 election, his party got enough votes to return to parliament. He was re-elected as chairman again in 2012 and 2015.
For the June 2015 election, the MHP's campaign slogan was "Walk with us, Turkey!" The party increased its votes. The election resulted in no single party having a majority, so parties tried to form a government together. Mr. Bahçeli turned down an offer to become prime minister. He suggested that other parties should form a government. When no government could be formed, another election was called for November 2015. In that election, the MHP's votes decreased.
Party Changes and New Alliances
After the 2015 election, some important members of the MHP asked Mr. Bahçeli to resign. When he refused, many delegates asked for a special meeting to choose a new leader. However, Mr. Bahçeli said the next meeting would be a regular one in 2018. A legal case followed, and a court ruled that a special meeting should be held.
However, the court's decision was later stopped. Because of these disagreements, several members, including Meral Akşener, were removed from the MHP. These former members then started a new political party in October 2017.
People's Alliance
Mr. Bahçeli supported President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a vote about changing the constitution in 2017.
In 2018, the MHP and President Erdoğan's party formed an election alliance called the People's Alliance. This alliance was for the 2018 general election. Mr. Bahçeli said he would not run for president and that the MHP would support Erdoğan. Erdoğan was re-elected president, and the MHP gained many seats in parliament. Mr. Bahçeli congratulated Erdoğan and said his party had achieved great success. The MHP has continued to support the government since then.
In the 2019 local elections, the MHP again joined the People's Alliance. The party did not put forward candidates for mayor in big cities like İstanbul and Ankara. Instead, they supported the candidates from President Erdoğan's party. In return, Erdoğan's party did not put forward candidates in some cities where the MHP was strong. The MHP won mayoral elections in several provinces. Mr. Bahçeli was re-elected as MHP chairman in 2018 and 2021.
From June 2 to June 7, 2023, Mr. Bahçeli served as the temporary speaker of the Turkish Parliament. He held this role because he was the oldest member.
Speeches and Memes
Some of Mr. Bahçeli's speeches have become famous, sometimes for being a bit confusing or funny. For example, during the 2009 local elections, he gave a speech about numbers that became a popular internet meme:
When writing 2009, there are two zeros. The zero next to 9 is on the left, you erase it. Is there a 9 left? There is a zero next to 2. You erase it, too. Is there a 2 left? Add them together. What will it make? It makes 11. You erase both of two zeroes in 2009, what is there left? 29 is left. Add 11 and 29! It makes 40, and the 40th anniversary of the Nationalist Movement Party!
Political Views
Mr. Bahçeli has spoken about various important issues. In 2017, he accused Russia of harming Turkish soldiers. In March 2022, after Russia's actions in Ukraine, he asked Russia to "stop the invasion immediately."
He is critical of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), a pro-Kurdish party. He has called for this party to be banned. When a court did not agree to ban the party, he criticized the court.
Personal Life
Devlet Bahçeli is not married. He used to support the football team Beşiktaş. However, he stopped his membership in 2023. This happened after fans protested the government's response to a big earthquake during a football match.
On February 6, 2025, Devlet Bahçeli went to the hospital for a planned heart valve surgery. This was to replace a valve that had been replaced about ten years before.
Works
- 2011 Seçim Beyannamesi
- Türkiye Gündemi ve Genelgeler
- Gizli Gündemler "Demokrasi, Özgürlük, Anayasa"
- Millet ve Devlet Bekası İçin Güç Birliği
- Referanduma Doğru İstanbul'da Bayramlaşma
- Ülkü ve Şuur
- Bölücü Terörün Siyasallaşma Süreci (Yıkım Projesi)
- Bin Yıllık Kardeşliği "Yaşa ve Yaşat" Mitingi
- "Var Ol Türkiye" MHP 9. Olağan Büyük Kurultayı
- Çözülen Ülke Türkiye ve Tavrımız
- Çözülen Ülke Türkiye ve Ülkümüz
- MHP 40. Yıl - Bir Hilal Uğruna
- Ortak Akılda Buluşma
- Siyasi Hayat ve Normalleşme Süreci
- Yönetilmeyen Türkiye "Kutuplaşma, Kargaşa ve Kaos"
- Teslimiyet ve Açılım Siyaseti "Demokrasi, Ekonomi, Güvenlik"
- Terör Kıskacında Türkiye: Tarihi Uyarı
See also
In Spanish: Devlet Bahçeli para niños
