EP rapporteur lends support to CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu after mafia leader's threats

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Nacho Sanchez Amor, the European Parliament's rapporteur on Turkey, has lent his support to main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu after he received death threats from a mafia leader in Turkey. 

"All my support for the CHP leader in the face of recent execrable threats. This should spark the solidarity of all relevant political and institutional actors in Turkey. Otherwise, silence speaks volumes," he said in a tweet on Nov. 18, while also using the hashtag "Kılıçdaroğlu is not alone." 

Kılıçdaroğlu was threatened by notorious mafia leader Alaattin Çakıcı on Nov. 17 after the former criticized the government for allowing the release of “mafia leaders and drug traffickers" in an amnesty law in April. 

Çakıcı was released from prison on April 16 as part of the law that was drafted by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Journalists and political prisoners were excluded from the government's amnesty law.

Çakıcı's release had been a long-term project for MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli. Shortly after calling for a general amnesty on May 12, 2018, Bahçeli had paid a visit to Çakıcı in prison, who he deemed “a lover of the nation.”

Çakıcı released a statement on Twitter on Nov. 17 telling Kılıçdaroğlu to “watch his step.” “If you put Bahçeli in the same pot as traitors, you would be making the mistake of your life,” Çakıcı wrote.

While the CHP leader on Nov. 18 filed a complaint against Çakıcı, the mafia leader responded to the main opposition head with yet another threat.

"Get Bahçeli's name out of your mouth, you couldn't even add up to his balls," Çakıcı said in a new open letter.

"Rather than speaking like a woman, get me killed if you have the guts," Çakıcı added.

Later in the day, Bahçeli, a very close friend of the mafia leader, came to Çakıcı's support and defended his threatening letter.