Politics Service
The echoes of President Erdoğan’s meeting with US President Trump at the White House continue.
While Erdoğan makes every economic and political concession to maintain his power, the different statements made by his junior partner, Devlet Bahçeli, are drawing attention. In an interview with Türkgün, MHP leader Bahçeli made new assessments regarding the proposed Turkey-Russia-China (TRÇ) alliance.
Arguing that this alliance is in line with Turkey’s national policy and the structure of its state and nation, Bahçeli said, “Turkey’s membership in other alliances does not imply weakness in terms of either the EU accession process or NATO membership. Turkey remains committed to its own commitments and responsibilities. However, a dialogue in which one side constantly makes concessions, constantly takes steps backwards, and constantly finds itself at a disadvantage will have no connection with friendship, alliance, or neighbourly values.”
EMPHASIS ON THE ASIA-PACIFIC
Bahçeli continued his assessment as follows: “In April 2013, Turkey signed a dialogue partnership agreement with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and laid the foundations for its legal relationship with the organisation. This agreement was ratified by the Turkish Grand National Assembly in 2017 and entered into force. It is anticipated that cooperation between dialogue partner Turkey and the SCO can be developed on various issues, primarily regional security, counter-terrorism, combating drug trafficking and organised crime, as well as economic and cultural areas. Turkey has gone beyond being a regional power and has demonstrated that it is a rare example of a country capable of establishing dialogue with both the West and the East, thereby influencing the security and political equation in Asia. These initiatives are not new. Since the era of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Turkey has pursued policies centred on Turkey, with an understanding that looks both to the East and the West, like the Seljuk eagle, in line with national goals and interests. Relations with these two organisations are a continuation of Turkey’s Asia-Pacific outreach process, which began a quarter of a century ago.
BAHÇELİ’S MESSAGE
Erdoğan, while in New York for the United Nations General Assembly meetings, responded to MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli’s proposal for a ‘Turkey-Russia-China (TRC) alliance,’ saying, ‘To be honest, I haven’t been able to follow it closely, but I hope it will be beneficial.’ While it is not entirely clear what Bahçeli aims to achieve with his continued TRC initiative, it is thought that the Israeli expansionism in the Middle East, which is part of the US plan, is unsettling the government, and that Bahçeli may be sending a message to the US via the TRC alliance to ‘rein in Israel’. On the other hand, it should not be forgotten that the global outcry against Israel’s genocide in Gaza has created expectations among voters. While many countries, notably Spain, have taken a clear stance against Israel, the lack of concrete steps beyond rhetoric in Turkey has caused reactions among the grassroots. It is also thought that Bahçeli may have resorted to rhetoric once again to consolidate the grassroots and suppress the growing anger among them.
Despite all this, Erdoğan’s efforts days in advance to secure a meeting with Trump and appear in a photo with him, along with the commercial agreements he signed during his US visit covering everything from natural gas to passenger aircraft, signify the country’s complete surrender to the NATO and US axis. Bahçeli’s proposal, which has little political impact, is nothing more than a symbolic gesture.
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Rejim ortakları ‘rol’ paylaşıyor, published in BirGün newspaper on September 29, 2025.
