İYİ Party's Akşener responds to Erdoğan's comments on attempted attack against her

Photo: İYİ Party

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İYİ (Good) Party Chair Meral Akşener has criticized President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for praising an attempted attack against her last week.

During Akşener's visit to Rize, Erdoğan's hometown, on May 20, a brawl occurred between İYİ Party members and locals, who were angry at Akşener due to her previous statement drawing parallels between Erdoğan and Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Akşener had left the province after the incident.

Speaking about the incident on May 26, Erdoğan praised those who attempted to attack Akşener, saying that they "taught a good lesson to her without going too far."

"This is Rize. If you insult a man of Rize, put him into the same equation with a baby killer like Netanyahu, this is what would be done," said Erdoğan. "This is only the first one. Many more things will happen, these are the better days."

Responding to the president today at her party's parliamentary group, Akşener said, "He confessed that he had incited the provocation in Rize. He might have other plans as well, as he said, 'There are your better days'."

Akşener then said Erdoğan should take a step to protect his hometown, referring to the construction of a stone quarry that has been protested by locals since mid-April.

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"Mr. Erdoğan, you are from Rize when it comes to words but you don't care about the people of Rize," she said.

About the snap election debate, Akşener said the AKP will lose "sooner or later" when the election is held.

After the group meeting, Akşener received a delegation of the locals and NGO members who have been protesting the quarry construction in İkizdere, Rize. (DŞ/VK)