ANKARA
Turkey's major nationalist party is holding its 11th Ordinary Grand Congress in Ankara on Saturday ahead of the country's parliamentary elections in June.
A total of 1,232 delegates from the Nationalist Movement Party, known as the MHP, are expected to gather in the Ankara Arena Sports Hall at 10:00 local time.
Devlet Bahceli, 67, has headed the party since the first leader, Alparslan Turkes, died in 1997.
Bahceli has frequently emphasized the 13-year-old ruling Justice and Development Party, or AK Party, cannot find a way to repair structural problems in the foreign policy and economy.
Noting June 7 as the "most critical" turning point in the history of politics and democracy in Turkey, Bahceli said: "If the AK Party is not punished at the ballot box, Turkey will be defeated."
- 'Unsuccessful executives'
Meanwhile, the former Yozgat lawmaker of the party, has announced his candidacy to become party leader.
Dr. Mesut Turker, 64, announced on March 7 that he would challenge Bahceli to lead the party, which was founded by Alparslan Turkes in 1969.
He said: "The nationalist community cannot bear the unsuccessful leader anymore.
"This is not a sign of disrespect to the leader, but rather a reaction to the administration."
"The Nationalist Movement has been administrated by the worst and the most unsuccessful executives in recent years," Turker added.
- 'No coincidence'
Turker asked, despite the idea, faith, movement and founding leader being true: "Why can't our party come to power?"
The congress coincides with the Day of Newroz – a spring festival which falls on March 21 each year and is celebrated mainly by the country's Kurdish population.
The party's deputy chairman, Semih Yalcin, has previously said it was not a coincidence that the congress and Newroz were happening on the same day.
"Just like Newroz is the forerunner of spring, the congress is the herald of the ranks that will lead the MHP to the power in the elections," said Yalcin.
The party held its 10th congress on November 4, 2012, when a total of 1,241 delegates voted to elect the leader.
