NATO debate among leaders in Turkey

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Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has commented on suggestions about leaving NATO.

"Let them bring shutting down of the US bases in Turkey to the parliamentary agenda, we will support it," he wrote on Twitter last night (May 26).

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, an ally of the government, said on Tuesday (May 24) at a parliamentary group meeting that "Even withdrawing NATO should be put on the agenda as an alternative if necessary."

Bahçeli's remarks came amid the discussions on Turkey's veto on the membership of Finland and Sweden in NATO.

CLICK - Erdoğan: Turkey will say no to Sweden and Finland's NATO bid

He also suggested creating a new security organization as an alternative to NATO and said, "The establishment of a new security organization under the name of the Asia and Middle East Security Organization, will also ensure the balancing of NATO. "

Bahçeli de NATO’dan çıkmayı önermiş. NATO, Türkiye için gereklidir ancak iktidar olarak ne kadar samimiler görmek isterim. ABD Yunanistan’ı üslerle doldurdu. Hedefleri net. Türkiye’deki ABD askeri tesislerini kapamayı getirsinler Meclis'e, Kuvayi Milliye ruhuyla destekleyeceğiz.

— Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu (@kilicdarogluk) May 26, 2022

"Bahçeli suggested withdrawal from NATO. NATO is important for Turkey, but I want to see how sincere they are. There are too many US bases in Greece. Their goal is definite. Let them bring shutting down of the US bases in Turkey to the parliamentary agenda.We will support it with the Kuva-yi Milliye spirit." (AEK/TB/VK)