Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday filed a legal complaint against Meral Aksener, chairman of the opposition Iyi (Good) Party, for allegedly insulting him, Turkey Purge reports, citing local media.
Erdogan filed the complaint due to Aksener’s remarks at a rally in Denizli in the run-up to local elections on March 31. According to the president's lawyer Huseyin Aydin, Aksener said on Wednesday Erdogan called the people of the province “terrorists” for their political choices.
In his remarks Erdogan had claimed that an alliance of opposition parties includes the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which he called the political representative of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). His lawyer said that the president warned the people against this relationship and urged them to be sensitive to it.
Erdogan’s lawyer asked for a “case in the name of the public” against Aksener for insulting the president.
Insulting the president is a crime in Turkey, according to the controversial Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). Whoever insults the president can face up to four ye...
