İYİ Party leader cuts visit short after pro-gov't group's verbal attack
İYİ Party leader Meral Akşener has cut her visit to Rize's İkizdere district short after a pro-government group's verbal attack. A brawl erupted between the İYİ Party members and the group, prompting police to intervene in the incident.
Duvar English
Good (İYİ) Party leader Meral Akşener was forced to cut her visit to the İkizdere district of the Black Sea province of Rize short after a pro-government group launched a verbal attack on her on May 20.
Akşener was meeting with shop owners in İkizdere to hear about their financial problems when a woman approached her and accused her of cooperating with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) through allying the party with the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).
"Can you explain that?" the woman asked, to which Akşener responded by slamming the woman for slandering.
"You're shameless!" Akşener told the woman.
Shortly after, a pro-government group approached İYİ Party members around Akşener and started chanting slogans.
A man was heard warning the İYİ Party group by saying, "Leave, something will happen here."
Upon cutting her visit short, Akşener headed to meet with locals protesting a stone quarry construction in the area by pro-government Cengiz Holding.
The incident came a day after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) targeted Akşener for comparing him to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The president also sued the İYİ Party leader.
CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu slammed the verbal attack on Akşener and called on Erdoğan to "not be afraid of early elections."