Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), visited the Ülkücü Şehitler Monument on May 27, 2024 [1].
The visit occurred on the first day of Kurban Bayramı and the Ülkücü Şehitleri Anma Günü. It serves as a high-profile reaffirmation of the MHP's commitment to Turkish nationalism, and the memory of its fallen members.
During the ceremony, Bahçeli emphasized the ideological duty of the movement. He described official positions not as personal gains but as trusts to be managed for the cause. "For the Ülkücü, the right to office is a trust to be given," Bahçeli said [1].
The MHP leader used the commemoration to link the sacrifices of the past to current national security goals. He said that the party and its followers would remain vigilant in protecting the state's integrity, a central tenet of the party's platform.
Bahçeli pledged a lifelong commitment to the movement's goals during his address at the monument. "We will guard our national survival until our last breath," Bahçeli said [2].
The event took place at the Ülkücü Şehitler Anıtı in Turkey, where Bahçeli led the remembrance activities. The gathering focused on the legacy of the Ülkücü martyrs, and the continuity of the nationalist struggle in the modern political landscape [1].
“"We will guard our national survival until our last breath,"”
This visit reinforces the MHP's role as the primary guardian of Turkish nationalist identity. By linking 'national survival' to the memory of martyrs, Bahçeli signals to his base that the party's ideological purity remains intact despite the complexities of governing within a coalition. The emphasis on office as a 'trust' rather than a right is a rhetorical move to frame the party's political power as a service to the state.
