MHP leader and recent history

The constitutional referendum once again turned the spotlight on opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli for the role he played in Turkey's political life. 

The constitutional amendments, which will radically change Turkey's governance system, entered the country's agenda mostly because of Bahçeli's political initiative that started with his call on Oct. 11, 2016.

However, not only this call, but when we review the course of significant political incidents over the past 15 years, we see Bahçeli's decisions and the moves he has made at several critical breaking points causing the change in the riverbed. 

While evaluating these breaking points, let us start with the Nov. 3 elections held in 2002. After Turkey overcame the 2001 economic crisis, this time, in the summer of 2002, health problems of then- Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit created a political uncertainty. There were one-and-half-years until the next elections. 

Everything upended with a surprise suggestion from Bahçeli on July 7, 2002, in Bursa, where he called for early elections. Bahçeli's suggestion was a total shock for other coalition partners. As a result of the MHP leader's move, the elections scheduled for April 2004 were moved to a one-and-half-year earlier date. 

There was another critical development that happened in the summer of 2002 that dramatically affected the outcome of the elections. When campaigns were nearing, the emergence of the Young Party (Genç Party) leader Cem Uzan started changing political calculations. 

Right at this point, it was revealed that Uzan had obtained Jordanian citizenship without taking the necessary permissions as the law requires when a second citizenship is acquired. The Democratic Left...