Bahceli: The future of Cyprus is not in Hellenism, but Ottoman rule

In a new series of harsh comments against Greece, the West, Sweden and Finland, Turkish nationalist leader Devlet Bahceli has said he does not rule out Turkey's withdrawal from NATO if Finland and Sweden join.

Speaking on Tuesday, he said he was sending a clear message to NATO that any acceptance of Helsinki and Stockholm would lead to talks on Ankara's withdrawal, and that this would not hurt a strong Turkey. 

Bahceli accused Sweden of allowing the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to set up an office in the country saying that "the second Qandil mountain is in Sweden," referring to the Iraqi mountain where the Kurdish fighters' headquarters are located.

He went on to say, "Turkey is not without options. Even leaving NATO should be on the agenda. We were not born with NATO.  We will not be lost without NATO," said the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party.

Verbal attacks against Mitsotakis

Bahceli, in his speech, alluded to Mitsotakis' speech in US Congress last week saying, "In our opinion, it is quite problematic that the speech of the Greek Prime Minister in the US Congress was applauded 37 times. We do not know what the deputies found in Mitsotakis's speech.  All we know is that they met on common ground against Turkey," he said.

Cyprus, as usual, did not escape from Bahceli's rant, "Cyprus is Turkish. Turks will stay. There is no other way than the two-state solution in Cyprus.  The fate of Cyprus is not Hellenism, but Turkish rule," he said verbatim, acknowledging in essence that it was a Turkish occupation of the island.

Source: A Haber