‘No assassination attempt on Istanbul mayor’

ANKARA

Turkish authorities have refuted reports of an assassination attempt on Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

“Such an assassination attempt is out of question,” Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu told reporters in parliament.

“Anyone caught in such an assassination attempt is also out of the question,” Soylu added, citing police statements which he said contained all the necessary details on the issue.

Authorities regularly receive information and tip offs regarding potential terror act plans, targeting public officials, the minister noted.

“We have to process and look into every piece of information. We do not overlook anything. We always take every potential threat seriously,” Soylu said.

The minister noted that a number of people has recently received threats from terror groups, such as the PKK and ISIL.

“We are taking the necessary precautions and providing protection,” Soylu said, adding that not all information received regarding terror groups’ plans are made public and shared with the media outlets.

Turkish police on Nov. 2 also refuted reports of a recent attempt on İmamoğlu’s life.

The spokesman for the Istanbul mayor said earlier this week that they had been informed on Nov. 23 by officials of an order by terror groups to move on İmamoğlu.

“There is no information on our side that any attacker has been caught,” Murat Ongun said.