Erdogan sues Turkey’s main opposition leader over ‘insult’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has filed a criminal complaint against main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu on the allegation that he insulted the president in a statement on Jan. 5, the Turkish Minute reported citing the state-run Anadolu news agency.
According to the report, in the petition submitted to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office by Huseyin Aydın, a lawyer representing Erdogan, Kilicdaroglu is accused of violating the 299th article of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). The complaint includes passages from the CHP leader’s speech of front of the Besiktas municipal building on Jan. 5.
Erdogan on Dec. 29 filed a lawsuit against Kilicdaroglu for TL 250,000 (66,500 USD) in non-pecuniary damages for violating his personal rights.
In the lawsuit submitted by Erdogan’s lawyer, Aydın, the main opposition leader is accused of using insulting expressions that violate the personal rights of the Turkish president during speeches on Dec. 22 and Dec. 24, 2017.