Devlet Bahçeli, chairman of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), has targeted the mother of former Grey Wolves leader Sinan Ateş due to her remarks accusing him of links to the 2022 assassination of her son while lashing out at an opposition leader and some journalists who are questioning his party’s role in the assassination, Turkish Minute reported.
Ateş was fatally shot in Ankara on December 30, 2022. The murder has sparked widespread controversy due to his role as the former head of the ultranationalist Grey Wolves, a paramilitary wing of the MHP, which is allied with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The ongoing trial involves 22 defendants, including key suspects Eray Özyağcı, Vedat Balkaya and Suat Kurt, who are charged with premeditated murder and face life sentences. Additional defendants, including former Grey Wolves officials, face charges ranging from incitement to murder to illegal possession of weapons.
The case has been marked by accusations of political interference by MHP figures who have been accused of orchestrating the murder.
Saniye Ateş, the mother of Sinan Ateş, implied while speaking to reporters following Monday’s hearing in the ongoing murder trial that Bahçeli had a connection to the assassination through four MHP politicians.
“The names I point to [for responsibility in the murder] are clear: İzzet Ulvi Yönter, Semih Yalçın, Ahmet Yiğit Yıldırım, Olcay Kılavuz. I’m not sure what their problem was. They should ask Devlet Bahçeli. They can’t even have a cup of tea without consulting him,” the mother said.
Yönter has been an MHP lawmaker for four terms, whereas Yalçın is the deputy leader of the MHP. Kılavuz was an MHP lawmaker at the time of the murder and Yıldırım is the current head of the Grey Wolves.
“Everyone should know their limits and refrain from crossing boundaries; we won’t tolerate any hooting owls at our doorstep and we will not hesitate to tear the wings off any flapping vultures,” the MHP leader warned.
Referring to Ateş’s comments during his party’s group meeting on Tuesday, Bahçeli said that it is “unbecoming” for a woman of her age to speak into just any microphone that comes her way, accusing her of being “a pawn in a game of political provocation.”
Bahçeli also threatened Özgür Özel, leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), and four journalists speaking about the murder trial during a program on the pro-opposition Halk TV for their allegations that the real masterminds behind the assassination are not being punished.
Özel told reporters after Monday’s hearing that justice will not be served if the masterminds of the murder are not held accountable, with an implicit reference to the two MHP executives.
The MHP leader on Tuesday said, addressing Özel, that his allegations are “just as rotten as your personality.”
Bahçeli also warned the CHP and Halk TV journalists to “watch their step,” saying he would not allow them to question the MHP regarding the assassination.
Ayşe Ateş, the widow of the slain leader, has been a vocal critic of the investigation, accusing MHP leadership of obstructing justice. She has faced legal action, including a criminal complaint filed by MHP officials after she accused them of involvement in her husband’s assassination.
Lawyers for the Ateş family have also criticized the indictment for failing to address the alleged masterminds or the motive behind the assassination, focusing instead on those directly involved in the execution of the crime.
The lawyers’ criticism of the indictment highlights a broader accusation of government interference and a possible coverup, suggesting that the indictment was intentionally stripped of details to protect certain political figures.
