Turkish Interior Minister targets CHP Istanbul chair Kaftancıoğlu, calls her 'a jester of terrorist organizations'

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Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu has targeted main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Istanbul chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu once again by calling her "a jester of terrorist organizations." 

Soylu, who is known for targeting opposition politicians and journalists frequently by hurling accusations at them, claimed that Kaftancıoğlu is a member of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP-C), the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) and the Marxist–Leninist Communist Party (MLKP) - all deemed terrorist organizations in Turkey. 

"The Istanbul 37th Heavy Penal Court sentenced her to one year and eight months in prison for making propaganda of the DHKP-C and the PKK/KCK," Soylu said in a tweet on Jan. 9. 

"Hasan Ocak, one of MLKP's so-called founding leaders, Sakine Cansız, one of PKK's founding leaders and DHKP-C member Ebru Timtik are among the terrorists that she idolized," the minister said. 

The most recent attack on Kaftancıoğlu began when she visited Boğaziçi University on Jan. 4 to support the students protesting the appointment of a pro-government rector by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. 

Students and academics have been protesting the appointment of Melih Bulu, a long-time ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) supporter whose credentials fall significantly short of those required to be the rector of Turkey's most prestigious university, for over a week. 

Soylu initially targeted Kaftancıoğlu on Jan. 8 by saying that she has a "militant soul that wants to disrupt the peace in the country." The CHP Istanbul chair was also targeted by Erdoğan, who called her a DHKP-C militant.

Kaftancıoğlu, on her part, said that she has never had anything to do with terrorist groups, while also noting that she will file a complaint against Erdoğan.

"Erdoğan has to reveal whatever evidence he has regarding his absurd accusation," Kaftancıoğlu said on Jan. 8.

 She also responded Soylu's accusations on Jan. 9, saying that the minister is challenging Erdoğan in terms of attacking her. 

"They were saying that the fight within the AKP is big, but I wasn't interested in it. It seems that the minister is challenging his chief by saying, 'I can do these despicable attacks better than you.' Stop, don't fight:)," Kaftancıoğlu tweeted, while also sharing a video of Boğaziçi University students singing a song against Bulu. 

DEVA MP: Soylu is openly committing a crime

Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) lawmaker Mustafa Yeneroğlu, who is a former AKP deputy, slammed Soylu for "openly committing a crime." 

"You can like or dislike Kaftancıoğlu, but Soylu is openly committing a crime with the lynch campaign he is carrying out," Yeneroğlu tweeted Jan. 9. 

"His concern is not the law. His aim is to polarize the public further and terrorize the public 'on legitimate grounds' by causing disorder as a result of the increasing tensions," he said. 

"They constantly need enemies to maintain this order."