Erdoğan sues Kılıçdaroğlu once more over FETÖ accusation

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has sued main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu once more over the latter’s statement that the president is “the highest ranking politician with links to [the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization] FETÖ.” 

“We have filed a lawsuit demanding 250,000 Turkish Liras in compensation for mental anguish against Kılıçdaroğlu over his wrong and baseless claims against our president,” Erdoğan’s lawyer Hüseyin Aydın posted on his official Twitter account on March 28.

The lawsuit came after Kılıçdaroğlu accused the government of continuing Turkey’s state of emergency rule in order to conceal its former support to the network of U.S.-based Fethullah Gülen, accusing Erdoğan of being the “highest ranking politician with links to [the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization] FETÖ.”

“He should sue me in court so that I can prove it,” the CHP leader said on March 27.

“They have been pursuing the state of emergency in order to cover up the political network of FETÖ and to silence the nation on this issue. FETÖ’s links among industrialists, baklava makers, shopkeepers, workers, teachers, judges and prosecutors have been revealed,” he added.

Following the comments, Aydın stated that Erdoğan is the most prominent figure in the struggle against terrorist organizations, especially FETÖ.”

“Trying to discredit those who fight against FETÖ, even relating them to FETÖ, is a classic FETÖ tactic and only serves the interest of that organization,” he added.