MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli criticized the “Amedspor Perception and Supporter Survey among Kurds” prepared by KSC and Rawest Research with the support of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. Bahçeli said the study, announced on 28 August 2026, stated that one in every three Kurds supported Amedspor, and argued that the survey sought to keep the “betrayal of separatism” alive by intensifying the relationship between football and identity. He called for sanctions against public opinion research organizations.
Recalling his statement concerning club president Nahit Eren on 4 May 2026, following Amedspor’s promotion to the Süper Lig, Bahçeli said he was pleased with the club’s success.
Bahçeli also criticized a “religiosity” survey, saying that the religious beliefs of the Turkish nation were presented negatively in the poll. He stated that tampering with spiritual values would delight the enemies. Arguing that tension was being created through surveys, Bahçeli emphasized that sport was a means of brotherhood, peace, solidarity and integration, and said it should not be used for identity politics or other purposes.
Why it matters
The statement opens a debate not only about a survey concerning a football club, but also about how public opinion research should be assessed on issues such as social identity and religious beliefs. The call for sanctions against public opinion research organizations produces an implication extending from criticism of survey results to the possibility that the methods and limits of such studies could be determined through political intervention. Defining sport as a means of brotherhood and integration reveals an approach that argues football should be completely separated from identity debates. At the same time, the statement does not detail which findings or methods of the surveys are considered problematic. The note in the report that the claim concerning Amedspor’s promotion to the Süper Lig is difficult to verify also requires this part of the statement to be considered carefully.
Background
Bahçeli is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: in the past 90 days, we published a news article mentioning this name; that article was dated August 29, 2026.