Turkey’s far-right Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahçeli on Tuesday defended Selahattin Yılmaz, a nationalist underworld figure arrested in an organized crime probe, calling him “my comrade and a companion in our cause” and saying he believes Yılmaz will be cleared.
The statement drew fresh attention to signs of strain between Bahçeli’s party and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Yılmaz was taken into custody last week in operations across five provinces and was jailed pending trial with nine others, including two lawyers, on accusations that include forming a criminal organization and making threats.
Local reports said police seized firearms and ammunition during the searches.
The case emerged after the pro-government media alleged that Aziz İhsan Aktaş, a businessman cooperating with prosecutors in court cases against opposition-run municipalities, was targeted for a hit. In his statement to police Yılmaz denied knowing Aktaş and said he would “shield” him because Aktaş was helping the state in a corruption investigation into the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality.
Yılmaz is a well-known figure in nationalist circles. Past reporting and court records show he was extradited from the Netherlands in 2010 and sentenced in 2013 to more than 10 years for arms offenses before his release in 2019. He has appeared publicly with Alaattin Çakıcı, another convicted crime boss who had previously met Bahçeli.
Bahçeli’s remarks set off political ripples. Main opposition leader Özgür Özel said the MHP chief’s message was aimed at his governing partner, arguing that the probe and the arrest of a figure close to MHP circles point to friction between the nationalist party and the AKP. Commentators also noted recent criticism from MHP figures of the pace and scope of high-profile cases.
The MHP is the junior partner in an electoral alliance that has kept Erdoğan’s AKP in power since 2018. The AKP did not immediately address the latest claims in the public statements cited by local media.