Bahçeli breaks his silence on murder of ex-Grey Wolves leader

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Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), spoke about the assassination of ex-Grey Wolves president Sinan Ateş for the first time; but again not mentioning his name.

MHP leader said, in relation to his removal of Sinan Ateş from the top position of Grey Wolves back in April 2020, "I can share my reasons for removing [Ateş] from office when necessary which I kept a secret for the period of time in which I had responsibility as the president of the party."

"There is a murder committed in broad daylight"

Bahçeli said in relation to the murder of Sinan Ateş, "A violent assassination took place on December 30, on Friday in Çukurambar, Ankara. We started waiting so that the fog would disperse and that the event brought to light.

"We started to follow up on every development closely. There was a murder committed in broad daylight. Immediately after the bloody attack, an organized assault started and gained speed targeting MHP.

"Turning the murder into a show, thousands of FETÖ accounts were opened in order to attack the People's Alliance. There have been scores of attacks on social media originating from Pennsylvania. Those hostile to MHP turned it into an issue for political revenge."

"Dear Kılıçdaroğlu I am not silent"

"Strange to say that Kılıçdaroğlu (leader of Republican People's Party/CHP) asked in his social media post the reason for our silence. Dear Kılıçdaroğlu, I am not silent. I have only taken and I am taking the necessary notes, watching what you are shamelessly implying."

"Whoever is trying to link MHP together with drug gangs, with paid gunmen, with murder gangs is dishonorable.

"The correct thing to do is to wait for the result of the judiciary process in order to see how the murder was organized. I can share my reasons for removing from office when necessary which I kept a secret for the period of time I have a responsibility as the President of the party. 

What happened?

Sinan Ateş, the ex-president of Grey Wolves, an ultranationalist group affiliated with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), was killed in Ankara on Friday (December 30).

Ateş and his friend Selman Bozkurt were leaving the apartment building where Ateş's office is when two men on motorcycles fired shots at them.

Ateş was seriously injured by a bullet to the head, while Bozkurt was wounded in the shoulder. Transported to a hospital, Ateş was pronounced dead after arrival.

Ateş became the leader of the Grey Wolves in 2019. In the period when İYİ (Good) Party was founded, Ateş came out in favor of MHP leadership and criticized those leaving MHP in order to join the İYİ Party.

On April 2, 2020, Ateş resigned from the presidency of the Grey Wolves, following the instruction of MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli according to reports, and started to work in the Hacettepe University History department as an academician.

Thousands attended the funeral in Bursa, Great Mosque on Saturday (December 31), including Bursa Mayor Alinur Aktaş, İYİ Party group deputy chairperson Müsavat Dervişoğlu, İYİ Party Bursa chairperson Selçuk Türkoğlu, and Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP Refik Özen.

MHP did not express condolence, and no officials from the party attended the funeral.

Condemning the act of violence, Kılıçdaroğlu also slammed Devlet Bahçeli, leader of MHP, who kept silent on the killing. (AS/PE)