Politics

Turkish opposition leader: Threat by president is awful

Akşener has slammed Erdoğan for his words praising people who were involved in a brawl with her bodyguards. (Photo: Twitter)

Turkish opposition İYİ Party (Good Party) leader Meral Akşener reacted strongly to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s remark, which she called a “threat.”

“It is awful to be threatened by the president,” said Akşener in a live interview on private broadcaster Fox TV early on May 28.

The fresh row between Erdoğan and Akşener began after the latter’s May 20 visit to the Black Sea province of Rize, the president’s hometown, where she backed villagers who protest the construction of a quarry in a valley, İkizdere.

A pro-government group protested Akşener in Rize, involving a physical brawl. Akşener named the incident a provocation, adding that she was embraced in Rize.

Erdoğan said during a weekly address to his party lawmakers on May 26 that “Mrs. Bride put my name near Netanyahu and then she went to Rize. There, they taught her a good lesson. You should thank God that they taught it without going too far. They did what they needed to do there. See what will happen in the future. These are your good days” Erdoğan said.

Akşener had compared Erdoğan’s administration stye to Israel leader Benjamin Netanyahu, implying that it is a “Sultan-like” rule similar to Donald Trump of the U.S., Vladimir Putin of Russia or Viktor Orban of Hungary.

In the May 28 interview, Akşener said she did not guess Erdoğan would distort her words that much, adding that Netanyahu’s rule was “awful.” 

She said she had no trouble with being called “Mrs Bride”,adding that she was proud to be married to a man from Rize, but complaining that Erdoğan’s wording aimed at humiliating her.

Other opposition parties lend support to Erdoğan, criticizing Erdoğan for his rhetoric. 

YetkinReport

Recent Posts

The PKK’s decision to dissolve and questions to the Turkish government

The PKK's decision on May 12 to give up the armed struggle and dissolve itself…

2 days ago

Turkish public awareness of the disbanding of the PKK is low: survey

In Türkiye, the outcomes of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party's (PKK) disarmament and dissolution congress,…

2 days ago

Türkiye is at the threshold for a solution to its chronic Kurdish problem

On May 9, Ayşegül Doğan, the spokesperson of the Kurdish-problem-focused DEM Party, was telling reporters…

6 days ago

Security is the new dynamic in EU-Turkish relations

On May 7, the European Parliament approved, by majority vote, the report of Türkiye rapporteur…

7 days ago

Kirkuk–Baniyas: the oil pipeline project that could sideline Türkiye

The energy map of the Middle East may be redrawn with the revival of the…

2 weeks ago

PKK tells Ankara no disarmament congress unless led by Öcalan

  Impatience is growing and nerves are on edge in Ankara because of a recent…

3 weeks ago