CHP leader urges Erdoğan to remove defense minister from duty 'if a coup is suspected'

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Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has urged President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to remove Defense Minister Hulusi Akar from duty if a coup is suspected to be underway, as he commented on recent coup speculations.

"Who could do a coup? The army could. If a coup is in question, then he should replace Hulusi Akar with someone else and prevent a coup," Kılıçdaroğlu told daily Yeniçağ in an interview on May 11.

Speculation of a new coup attempt surfaced recently after pro-government media outlets, columnists and senior officials of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have accused the CHP of “calling for a coup” after a number of party officials, including Canan Kaftancıoğlu, the party's Istanbul chair, said that they expect the government to change soon.

"I expect a government change via snap polls or something else, as well as a system change," Kaftancoğlu said on April 30, which triggered a new wave of criticisms by the AKP against the CHP.

During the interview, Kılıçdaroğlu was asked ironically about the details of the coup that the CHP is planning.

"We will bring democracy to this country. We don't have an army, we have the people [backing us]. We know about the major grievances caused by coups. We also know the prices the CHP paid because of them," he said, adding that the government brought the issue to its agenda to cover up the fact that it can no longer rule Turkey.

"We will bring a democratic parliamentary system to this country as the Nation Alliance," Kılıçdaroğlu said, referring to the alliance between the CHP and the right-wing İYİ (Good) Party.

"This discourse on a potential coup is brought to agenda whenever the CHP is close to becoming the government," he added.