Devlet Bahçeli (born 1 January 1948) is a Turkish politician who has been the chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) since 6 July 1997.An academic in economics at Gazi University in Ankara until 1987, he served as Deputy Prime Minister in the coalition government of Bülent Ecevit (1999–2002). Elected in the province of Osmaniye, he has been an MP in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey since 22 July 2007.