As the 14 May presidential and prime ministerial elections are approaching in Turkey, obstructions and attacks against the election activities of opposition parties are increasing.
In Erzurum, the election rally of the main opposition party was attacked with stones by a pro-government group. Those reacting to the provocation, which caused the rally to be interrupted, accused the government of "sabotaging the elections". Opposition Presidental Candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said, "We will pay the price for bringing change to the country."
The incident took place in the evening in the eastern city of Erzurum. The rally of the Nation's Alliancewas interrupted due to an attempted provocation.
A group of people attacked the election bus of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the CHP mayor of İstanbul, who has been announced to be Kılıçdaroğlu's vice-presidential running mate if he is elected. The attackers, said to be members of MHP and HüdaPar, partners of the ruling People's Alliance, threw stones during İmamoğlu's speech and interrupted the speech.
During his speech, İmamoğlu often had to warn the police officers who were involved in the provocation. İmamoğlu used the following expressions in his speech: "The police watching this, we are also watching you. The Governor of this city, the Chief of Police, we are also watching you. Carry on. There is no problem. Look at the economic crisis, poverty, destitution. Erzurum ranks 62nd among 81 provinces in per capita national income. The problem of this city is poverty. But there may be deceived young people and administrators. Policemen, there are injured citizens here, and you are watching. I'll file a criminal complaint against you. You're provoking people. Don't answer me. Erzurum, everything will be beautiful. You'll see. Policemen, you're still watching. You're watching 200 people. Police Chief, Governor, Mayor, we'll file a criminal complaint against you. No, no, don't answer, dear young people. It's a provocation. A handful of people are putting you in danger."
May 7, 2023
Meanwhile, some people were injured due to the stones thrown by the attackers. The bus carrying İmamoğlu and the accompanying delegation was also damaged.
İmamoğlu had to end the rally early as the attack continued. Imamoğlu, who then entered the bus, addressed the outside as follows: "We will file a criminal complaint against the Chief of Police, the Governor, all of you who failed to take precautions for a handful of people. Police. I am continuing my city tour to ensure peace here, ensure peace here. Those who came to listen to me, don't throw stones. Don't throw stones back. You stay calm. The police have to ensure your safety. I see you all."
İmamoğlu's bus then drove away from the rally area. Meanwhile, the police sprayed water cannons at the crowd who continued to follow the bus.
Ekrem İmamoğlu made a new statement after leaving the area and said that the provocation started before they reached Erzurum, when the AKP-affiliated Erzurum Municipality piled buses to the rally area.
İmamoğlu made the following statement: "The municipality showed a great lack of courtesy and piled 40-50 buses. Then we contacted the Governor and measures were taken with nearly 5 thousand police officers. Subsequently, we travelled from the airport to the area where we would make a speech with this welcome. The square was full. When we arrived, stones rained down from everywhere. None of the police moved a muscle. This is an instruction. The stones thrown at us hit the heads and eyes of people above us."
İmamoğlu then returned to İstanbul by plane.
May 7, 2023
After the attack on Ekrem İmamoğlu's rally in Erzurum, citizens flocked to Sabiha Gökçen Airport to welcome İmamoğlu, chanting "Shoulder to shoulder against fascism" and "Salvation no salvation alone, either all together or none of us".
After the provocation at the Erzurum rally, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the presidential candidate of the National Alliance, reacted to the incidents by publishing a video on his social media account.
Kılıçdaroğlu said, "Bringing change to the country has a price. We are all ready to pay it," he said.
Kılıçdaroğlu said the following: "There is a militarist coalition consisting of mafias, militants, SADAT members, the drug dealers who killed Sinan Ateş, gangs of five, and "pork baggers". These are the ones who attacked our Ekrem president today. Their aim is to scare people. To keep them away from the ballot box. All of Turkey will maintain its restraint. Turkey is a country of reasonable majority. The majority will end this evil. Dear citizens, focus on 14 May. Everything else is a detail. Don't get angry, don't sulk. Love and cherish your people. This is precisely what makes those terrorist groups so devastated. I wish my son Ekrem a speedy recovery. Bringing change to the country has a price. We are all ready to pay it."
SADAT, to which Kılıçdaroğlu referred, is officially an international consultancy company, but the organisation, which provides armed training, is accused of training paramilitary forces loyal to the government. By "pig-tiers" he refers to the Sharia-based Hezbollah organisation, which in the 1990s used pig ties as a form of torture to kill Kurdish dissidents. Many people arrested and imprisoned in the Hizbullah case were released or pardoned during the AKP period. These people later founded the party Hüda Par, which today supports the People's Alliance. It is also stated that members of this party were involved in the attack in Erzurum.
Political parties also reacted to the operation. Labour Party (EMEP) Chairman Ercüment Akdeniz said on Twitter, "We condemn the attack against Ekrem İmamoğlu and the rally in Erzurum. This is a planned provocation. Political responsibility belongs to the People's Alliance, which makes all kinds of threats to the opposition, including bullets. The one-man order must come to an end," he said.
In the statement made by the Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP), the following statements were used: "This attack, which is understood to have been carried out by a group under the control of the government and not prevented by the law enforcement forces, is one of the attempts of the Palace to sabotage the elections that it will lose. We wish Ekrem İmamoğlu a speedy recovery and invite all democratic public opinion to come together on 14 May to support Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in the presidential election to put an end to the one-man regime that plays with fire for the sake of a seat."
CHP Istanbul Provincial Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu also called on Istanbulites to Sabiha Gökçen Airport to welcome Imamoğlu at 20.15.
Kaftancıoğlu shared a post on his Twitter account with the effect "#AzKaldı" and said, "Dear Istanbulites, we are waiting for you at Sabiha Gökçen Airport starting from 20.15. To welcome Ekrem İmamoğlu and to take a brotherly stance against what has been done... We are coming for brotherhood, for embrace. With common sense, we will defuse the provocations."
İskender Bayhan, Green Left Party Istanbul 3rd District MP candidate, reacted with a statement on his social media account. Bayhan said, "We condemn the attack against Ekrem İmamoğlu and citizens in Erzurum. Responsible for this provocation is the one man and his small partners who make threats in every speech. We will not surrender this country to your darkness."
CHP's allies in the Nation Alliance also reacted to the incidents. Temel Karamollaoğlu, leader of the Felicity Party, said: "I condemn those who carried out this provocation and the administrators who stood by! We will continue on our way patiently, calmly and decisively!"
Future Party Chairman Ahmet Davutoğlu said, "Look at what you have brought the country to! You have turned brother against brother. In Erzurum, Mr. The perpetrator and instigator of the attack on Mr Ekrem İmamoğlu and our brothers in the rally area is this dirty power. Everyone can rest assured that these incidents will take place in the shameful pages of history and our country will be at peace on 14 May."
On the other hand, another attack took place in Tarsus district of Mersin. The announcement vehicle of the Greens and Left Future Party, a component of the Labour and Freedom Alliance, was attacked by a group with knives and sticks.
While the vehicle was waiting at a red light, it was blocked by a group of 20 people. In the incident, 7 party workers in the vehicle were verbally abused and harassed by the group and then attacked with sticks and knives. During the incident, 5 party workers were injured. The windows and tyres of the announcement vehicle were shattered by the knife blows of the group.
A party worker who was injured in the incident told Mesopotamia Agency that although there were many police officers around at the time of the incident, the attack was not intervened in any way. Stating that they went to the Security Directorate to file a complaint, the party worker said that one of their friends was taken under treatment in hospital. (EVRENSEL DAILY)
Aras Coşkuntuncel
