MHP on the home stretch

The Nationalist Movement Party's (MHP) recent Ankara rally was considerably weaker than the one it staged before the June 7 election. 

I don't know whether security concerns had any effect on the weak turnout, but while I was wandering around the sparse crowd I saw traces of anger toward MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, making the picture clearer. 

Bahçeli seemed to be aware of this. He was on the defensive, trying to prove with quotations from President Erdo?an, Prime Minister Davuto?lu and Bülent Ar?nç that the Justice and Development Party (AKP) was responsible for the failure to form a coalition government after June 7. He also claimed that the result was obvious even during negotiation traffic between the AKP and the Republican People's Party (CHP). He slammed the CHP for having "no principles" and being "obedient" to the AKP.

A voice from the crowd    

Bahçeli also addressed claims that the MHP votes are falling, describing them as a "perception operation" and saying those claiming this will lose face on Nov. 1, polling day. 

Indeed, the MHP head not only defended himself; as usual he criticized the AKP harshly and did not neglect the other parties. He repeatedly referred to Davuto?lu's recent accusation that ISIL was "ungrateful," stressing that this was a terrorist organization that took Turkish diplomats hostage and that bombed the Süleyman Shah Tomb. 

Bahçeli also directed harsh barbs toward Davuto?lu on the subject of the Oct. 10 suicide bombing in Ankara.

"Hey 'Serok' Ahmet! Doesn't your conscience ever burn you? Don't you fear God? Our people are dying and you are saying the AKP's votes have increased. The PKK, ISIL and the DHKP-C stage massacres and the AKP gets more votes. What kind of a...