Turkey’s main opposition leader: I fear provocations by government

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu told the HDN that the 'provocations' could include the use of violence. AA Photo

Turkey’s main opposition leader issued a warning yesterday about possible “dangerous provocations” by the government ahead of the March 30 elections, saying the conspiracies could include “fake assassination attempt” against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

“I cannot give any further details in order not to cause further problems,” Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said. “But I can tell you that I have alarming information with me.”

Kılıçdaroğlu made the comments ahead of the funeral for Berkin Elvan.

Kılıçdaroğlu, told the Hürriyet Daily News on the phone today that the “provocations” could include the use of violence and even “a made-up assassination attempt” against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, according to “strong indications” in his possession.

The CHP leader answered the questions following a short written statement in the morning hours before the funeral, saying he wanted to warn the people of “dangerous provocations that the prime minister and a small number of people around him are after in order to continue their power,” without giving any details.

“I cannot give any further details in order not to cause further problems,” Kılıçdaroğlu said. “But I can tell you that I have alarming information with me. I am worried that the funeral and that the protests afterwards could be abused by the government in order to give the impression before the March 30 elections that ‘if he goes, Turkey will roll into a chaos.’”

Kılıçdaroğlu claimed that Erdoğan seeks endorsement from his grassroots to further polarize society and could “take the risk of provocative violence” for such a polarization. “We saw that during Gezi protests” he said. “It was understood that those throwing Molotov cocktails at police vehicles pretending to be left-wing groups turned out to be police officers in plainclothes.”

The opposition leader also claimed that he had information about a possible “assassination attempt scenario” against Erdoğan before the elections in order to attract sympathy.

“He did that once before” Kılıçdaroğlu said. “There was an attack on his convoy before the last elections, when it was public information that he was traveling byhelicopter.”

On May 4, 2011, gunmen attacked a convoy for Erdoğan's election campaign between Amasya and Kastamonu in northern Turkey, killing a policeman. The gunmen were reportedly killed in clashes in August the same year.