Erdoğan accuses CHP of ‘trying to destroy everything he built’
MUĞLA
President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan criticized the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) of pledging to destroy what the ruling party has done.
“They only talk about destroying. They do not have any sincere projects for this nation. Their project is to reverse Turkey to the old days,” Erdoğan said on June 6 in the western province of Muğla.
He listed the infrastructural projects the AKP has implemented in its 16 years of rule, calling out that the CHP authorities “want to destroy all of their services.” He also accused the main opposition of supporting terrorism, calling on people to vote for him “to block terrorists from taking hold of Turkey.”
Erdoğan pointed out Muharrem İnce has visited Peoples’ Democratic Party’s (HDP) imprisoned candidate Selahattin Demirtaş in prison.
“What you would expect from a person who has visited them in the prison,” he added.
“They have all walked together from Ankara to Istanbul,” he said, accusing the HDP of having a link with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
“The CHP and others are visiting representatives of the terrorist organization in prison,” he said.
Erdoğan also called out to Turkish citizens residing in Europe to vote for the ruling party, as the voting period abroad starts today.
“I call on Europe from here. My western brothers and sisters, the voting period begins tomorrow [June 7]. Be aware and blow the ballot boxes. The signal you will give from here will unite with the votes of your brothers and sisters and June 24 will be different,” he said.
Erdoğan defends general
In his address, President Erdoğan defended a four-star general who had applauded him at an iftar dinner last week after harsh criticisms from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) presidential candidate Muharrem İnce.
Second Army Command Commander Lt. Gen. Ismail Metin Temel has been seriously slammed by İnce, who said one of the first things he would do would be to dismiss him if elected president in the June elections. İnce said Gen. Temel applauded Erdoğan when the president had harshly criticized him.
“This was not a party meeting. It was organized by the Malatya chamber for craftsmen. Gen. Temel is part of the Malatya protocol listing and was invited to the meeting,” Erdoğan said.
“The participants had applauded me at a point they had to,” the president said.
