CHP's Kılıçdaroğlu reiterates warning to bureaucrats

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Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has reiterated his call to bureaucrats to act in accordance with laws.

Releasing a video on Twitter Saturday (October 16), he said, "As of October 18, you will also be responsible for the support you give to the illegal requests of this order."

After this video, President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Vice President Fuat Oktay filed criminal complaints against Kılıçdaroğlu.

Speaking at his party's parliamentary group meeting today (October 19), Kılıçdaroğlu said, "It's not my place to threaten anyone who is working within the legal limits. Whoever serves their state and nation, they are more than welcome."

However, he said, he threatens "those who are in mafia-like relationships."

Referring to the recent leak of documents from the Turkey Youth Foundation (TÜGVA), which led to "favoritism" allegations regarding appointments in state institutions, Kılıçdaroğlu said, "You are favored by the foundation of Erdoğan family and appointed to the state and all hell broke when we say 'This is wrong'."

"Those who are in mafia-like relations are the officials of the palace. They get instructions from there or the foundations that their children founded," he added. "Why did they lash out? Because we circumvented their mafia-like relations."

"There is a double structure. The first is of those who really work for their state; the second is of those who ... work for the palace, the rent-seekers and drug barons. We respect the first structure and we'll continue to fight against the second structure."

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chair Devlet Bahçeli, an ally of President Erdoğan, also accused Kılıçdaroğlu of threatening bureaucrats.  (AS/VK)