Ankara prosecutor launches investigation over CHP leader’s claim of 'political murders'

ANKARA

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Oct. 13 launched an ex officio investigation into the claim of Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu that he had concerns about political murders.

A statement by the office of the chief prosecutor said that “an ex officio investigation has been initiated regarding the allegations of some politicians that political murders could be committed.”

Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said there was no such intelligence in the police and the National Intelligence Organization (MIT).

Speaking at the Traffic Unit Supervisors Coordination meeting on Oct. 13, Soylu said some politicians were making claims on the issue and criticized them for “not being able to see” the impacts of such allegations on society.

“There has been a discussion of political murders for a few days. We are following. They express that such sensations are received, and the danger is great. These are serious words,” Soylu stated.

“I am the interior minister. I asked if there is such a political murder intelligence. There is not,” Soylu said.

If it is not the Turkish security departments, there might be two sources of this intelligence, he said, accusing the opposition party politician of collaborating with foreign intelligence services.

“The first is foreign services. If you sit on the lap of foreign services, they will play with you… Or it is a case that terrorist organizations target government executives or you have ties with terrorist organizations or the ambassadors you meet occasionally confuse you, this is an obvious FETÖ tactic,” Soylu stated.

The claim was brought to the agenda by Kılıçdaroğlu. He claimed that political murders could be committed, saying, “[President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan’s words encourage certain circles.”

Following a verbal attack at the İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener in the northern province of Rize, Erdoğan said, “What’s next? These are your good days.”

“Isn’t that a threat? There will be an attack on a political party leader, and the person running the country will get up and use this sentence,” the CHP leader responded.

It is a “very dangerous sentence,” Kılıçdaroğlu said, adding, “The tension must be avoided. The other side will escalate the tension. It will look for how we can ensure that we can do politics in a much harsher environment, but I am sure that if the job is not to take guns into the hands of certain groups and kill certain people, there will be no tension. Political murders... I have such concerns.”

In his interview with daily Sözcü, İYİ Party Deputy chairman Koray Aydın said, “We have also heard that there will be political assassinations.”

Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun reacted to these statements on his social media account.

Altun said that those who made the allegations of “political murder” were trying to “create a climate of fear” in the country and invited the claimants to forward the documents in their possession to the prosecutor’s office.

“It is immoral and irresponsible for the chairman of the CHP to target our president by talking about ‘killing certain people’ and ‘political murders,’” ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesperson Ömer Çelik said.