İYİ Party's İstanbul office targeted by gunfire, party leader blames Erdoğan

Photo: Twitter

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An unidentified person or persons early today (March 31) launched an armed attack on the İYİ (Good) Party İstanbul's provincial office building. One of the bullets struck a window.

Police are investigating the attack on the building in Merter, located on the European side of İstanbul. Meral Akşener, the party's chair, was supposed to attend an opening in Gaziosmanpaşa, around ten kilometers away from Merter, together with İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, at 3.30 p.m. local time (GMT+3).

At 11:00, Akşener and İmamoğlu, instead of their scheduled meeting, made an announcement at İYİ party's office, where the accident took place. 

''The man who would scare Meral Akşener has not yet been born, I am not afraid Mr. Recep. Women, I call on you. All kinds of insults, filth, and disgust that could not be done to a male politician were done to me, because I am a woman. If these things can be done to a woman in politics, we see together what is not done to your children and daughters. If you want to end this cruelty, filth, and disgust, dear women, you will vote for the Nation Alliance on May 14th,'' Akşener said in front of the building. 

''Mr. Recep, I call on you. During this reign, there hasn't been a single thing I did not experience, but these days will pass. By god's will, let the sun rise on May 15. You are very upset, there are 1,5 months left. You just realized that you are going. You prefer to shout at us, instead of the scumbags around you. There is no escape. My advice is to drink chamomile tea,'' she continued.

The opposition leader has a long-standing feud with President Erdoğan. Yesterday, while visiting the earthquake-struck city of Adıyaman, Akşener condemned the incumbent's previous words of threatening her to end up in jail or dead.

Earlier this year, Akşener advised President Erdoğan to see a psychiatrist after he accused the opposition of urging people to protest the government in the streets.

'She is from Asena'

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, presidential candidate and chair of fellow Nation's Alliance member, the Republican People's Party (CHP) reacted to the incident on his social media account.

''I spoke with Meral Akşener. Ms. Meral is a strong leader, she is an Asena, the kind that can you not scare. I expect the perpetrators to be caught and brought before the court immediately. ''

Az önce Sayın @meral_aksener ile görüştüm. Meral Hanım güçlü bir liderdir, Asena’dır, böyle korkutamazsınız. Faillerin derhal yakalanmasını ve yargı önüne çıkarılmasını bekliyorum.

— Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu (@kilicdarogluk) March 31, 2023

The İYİ Party together with the CHP and four other parties aim to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the May 14 elections.

(TY/WM/VK)