Nationalist party leader Bahçeli accuses CHP of ‘orchestrating’ oil crisis in Turkey

* Photo: Muhammed Selim Korkutata - Ankara / AA

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Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chair Devlet Bahçeli spoke at the weekly group meeting of his party yesterday (March 8).

As a member of the People's Alliance with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), MHP's leader also talked about the increases in sunflower oil prices in Turkey amid the Russia-Ukraine war.

Referring to the long queues in markets to buy sunflower oil for fear of an imminent shortage, Bahçeli blamed the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) for "orchestrating" the oil crisis in the country.

"The CHP has once again become the orchestra conductor of the virtual and ordered oil crisis," said Bahçeli, adding that the queues in markets "lead to primitive images" and defining them as "gut-wrenching".

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Speaking further about the oil crisis, Devlet Bahçeli argued that "the profiteers who fuelled demand and triggered the increase in sunflower oil prices and the ones who sold oil in the online black market that emerged after the shelves became empty have sold their honor as well".

Recalling that the price of a 5-liter sunflower oil increased to 150 lira in a day, Bahçeli said, "It was alleged that the oil prices would increase and we ran out of stocks. Even though the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry refuted this lie, a stampede ensued in markets, our people got into a row."

Addressing the CHP, MHP's Bahçeli added, "The CHP has once again become the orchestra conductor of the virtual and ordered oil crisis. CHP politicians say that 'the nation can no longer buy sunflower oil for their homes.' The one raised by [economist, politician] Kemal Derviş says, 'The war is in Ukraine, embargo in Russia, famine and queues in Turkey'."

Referring to the people who rushed to markets to "buy cheap oil" and "panicked to buy oil at the expense of getting on top of another", Bahçeli defined them as "outdated images that do not reflect our common sense". He said, "There may be a meal without oil, but there is no such thing as Turkey without tomorrow! We have oil, we have fuel, we have flour, we have salt..."

Concluding his remarks about the issue, Bahçeli stated, "Whoever caused oil queues to form at markets must pay the price for this before the Turkish courts. You will be brought to account for causing a new crisis in oil." (AS/SD)