In a striking display of political power-broking, Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has arranged a high-profile reconciliation between two of the country’s most notorious rival organised crime dynasties.

Devlet Bahceli, the 78-year-old veteran leader of the MHP that serves as the junior partner in the ruling coalition under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, hosted senior members of the Saral and Sahin clans in his office at his party’s headquarters in Ankara.

In a series of photographs published on September 26 on the MHP’s official X account (@MHP_Bilgi), Bahceli was pictured flanked by representatives of both families.

"Two valuable families of our country, the Sarals and the Sahins, came together at our headquarters in a historic embrace with our chairman," a posted statement read.

The extraordinary summit marked a symbolic truce in a decades-long blood feud between the syndicates, the origins of which are found in the Black Sea region. Their conflict has spanned illegal gambling businesses, extortion and targeted assassinations across Turkey. Both clans have faced extensive criminal prosecutions and state crackdowns over the past two decades.

Turkey’s interior and justice ministries did not issue an official comment on the nature of the agreements reached during the meeting with Bahceli.

Sixth gangster to pose with Bahceli

The encounter made Burhanettin Saral, head of the Saral clan, the sixth gangster to have posed with Bahceli in his office. Sedat Sahin, head of the Sahin clan, previously posed with Bahceli following a release from prison.

Alaattin Cakici, Kursat Yilmaz and Soner Ergin, a brother of Turkey’s Karagumruk gang leaders, are other gangsters who have been blessed with a visit to the MHP chairman’s office.

On September 23, Selahattin Yilmaz, a mid-tier gangster, posed with Bahceli after his prison term ended.