Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the protests over the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu have become a "movement of violence" and that the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), which he leads, will be held accountable for the injuries to police officers and damage to property. This is reported by UNN with reference to Reuters.
Details
Speaking after a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Erdogan said the CHP should stop "provoking" citizens.
As a nation, we watched with surprise the events that arose after the main opposition leader called for people to take to the streets after a corruption scandal in Istanbul. It has turned into a movement of violence
He also stressed that the SNP is responsible "for our police officers, the broken windows of our shop owners and the damaged state property."
They will be held accountable for all of this, politically in parliament and legally in court
The publication adds that earlier Turkish Interior Minister Ali Erlikai accused some protesters of "terrorizing" the streets and threatening national security. According to him, 1,133 people were detained in five days of protests, and 123 police officers were injured.
Recall
On March 19, students across Turkey took to mass protests over the detention of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main political opponent, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. Two separate investigations have been launched against him, including charges of running a criminal organization, bribery and bid rigging.