‘Shame on you,’ President Erdoğan tells CHP leader as political rhetoric escalates

TRABZON

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has blasted main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu for criticizing Turkey’s recent justice record. 

“Shame on you for saying there is no justice or freedom in Turkey. When you walked from Ankara to Istanbul, who ensured your safety? While you were walking you victimized the people, but who ensured your security? This government did. This government gave you that opportunity,” Erdoğan said in the northeastern province of Trabzon on Aug. 8. 

His comments came after Kılıçdaroğlu gave an interview to German magazine Focus on Aug. 5 in which he voiced the main opposition’s criticisms about the ruling party’s coup attempt measures. 

Kılıçdaroğlu had walked from the capital Ankara to Istanbul over 25 days in July to publicize these criticisms, calling the march a “justice march.”

“Justice does not need emotion; it needs courage and responsibility ... If you are walking to protect [the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization] FETÖ, to protect the [outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party] PKK, or [the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant] DAESH, then shame on you! We know who walked with you anyway,” Erdoğan said. 

Erdoğan also underlined the level of foreign investments in Turkey, especially in the energy sector, amid the ongoing row between Ankara and Berlin over reports about an anti-terror probe against German companies in Turkey. 

“Turkey’s credit note outside remains quite good,” he said. 

“Do not take the Germans’ words into consideration. They can speak. They will understand that they are wrong but it will be too late. We did not do anything against the Germans, but the Germans lost their way in that period,” Erdoğan said.

He claimed that the recent row with Berlin stemmed purely from the forthcoming elections in Germany. 

“There is an election in October. Because of that election, somebody hits from one side, another hits from the other side. But no matter where you hit, we will continue to walk straight,” Erdoğan added.