Behind Bahçeli’s call to overhaul Turkey’s election system: ‘The alliance will remain, cooperation will become harder’

MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli wants Turkey’s presidential system to stay, but he is also calling for the election system and Political Parties Law to be rewritten. That combination has prompted debate over the political calculations behind his proposal.

The People’s Alliance is said to want to preserve the formal alliance model. At the same time, formulas are reportedly being considered to make it harder for opposition parties to cooperate through joint candidate lists, an umbrella party or transfers of lawmakers.

The debate therefore centers not on ending alliances, but on reshaping the rules under which they operate. Bahçeli’s proposal would maintain the existing government system while potentially narrowing the methods available to opposition parties as they coordinate for elections.