Bahçeli's 'terrorist kebab shops' rant leaves chefs, opposition puzzled

Photos: AA

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Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chair Devlet Bahçeli, an ally of the government, has accused kebab shop owners of contributing to the country's unemployment.

Speaking about high food prices at his party's parliamentary group yesterday (October 5), Bahçeli said he finds those who sincerely complain about are right but there are also those who "abuse our citizens' efforts."

"The separatist kebab shops who aid and abet terrorism are also responsible for unemployment," he remarked.

After Bahçeli's statements went viral on social media, İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener, a former member of the MHP, hosted a kebab chef at her party's parliamentary group today.

"Every week, a new segment of the public is declared terrorists," said Akşener. "Recently, supermarkets were put into this category. Students who can't find housing were declared terrorists. And, as of yesterday, kebab shops became terrorists."

Speaking after Akşener, a kebab chef, İbrahim Çetinkaya, said, "We have had many hardships during the pandemic and respected all of them. We are people who sell kebab, pita, soup. We can't be villains or terrorists."

"We don't discriminate against ethnic origins, languages, religions, races. We have been affected by the hardships as people paying taxes. We don't accept being labeled as terrorists and separatists." (AS/VK)