President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday has rejected parliamentary main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's evidencing that his relatives have carried out multi-million dollar off-shore banking transactions.
Addressing a Forestry Ministry event in capital Ankara, Erdoğan said "[Kılıçdaroğlu] had to respond to these delusional [claims] of opposition leader at a time when Turkey had more important issues to deal with."
"We know very well that some members of CHP have given information about the lawsuit against our country abroad. These individuals will be absolutely brought to account for their betrayals. This miserable situation serves our purposes, but we are sorry for our country" Erdoğan said, referring to the ongoing criminal trial of a Turkish bank executive. Erdoğan's government on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for two men accused of "handing Washington fabricated reports" and "stealing documents" in the case. Former Republican People's Party (CHP) lawmaker Aykan Erdemir and banking auditor Osman Zeki Canıtez were named in the New York court case witness list.
"He [Kılıçdaroğlu] had also claimed that he would have explained many ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies affiliated to Fethullahist Terror Organization [FETÖ], but he couldn't. We now see that who these deputies affiliated to FETÖ in the United States are. Two CHP deputies had involved in the intrigue plotted by FETÖ. It is coming out, Erdoğan said. The network of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, which Ankara refers to as the FETÖ was one of the masterminds of last years coup attempt. Some evidence of the case in the U.S., leaked tapes, elicited by the network of the Gülen, which had been organised in the police, judiciary, military and the other states institutions.
"The main opposition CHP cannot overcome these lies anymore. Because it is no longer main opposition; it is now the party of the 'main betrayal'. The CHP led by this person [Kılıçdaroğlu] is a waste," Erdoğan said.
'NO MONEY HAD BEEN SENT ABROAD INSTEAD MONEY WAS SENT TO THESE PEOPLE'
Brandishing banking documents at the CHP's parliamentary group meeting, Kılıçdaroğlu listed the names of Erdoğan's brother-in-law Ziya İlgen, his brother Mustafa Erdoğan, his son Burak Erdoğan, the latter's father-in-law Osman Ketenci, and businessman Mustafa Gündoğan, as well as the dates and amounts of transactions made to the company called Bellway Limited in 2011 and 2012.
In response, Erdoğan claimed that no money had been sent abroad "instead money was sent to these people as they had sold their companies".
"There isn't a single penny that has gone abroad. What this person says is a lie," Erdoğan said.
"On the contrary, they received money because they had sold their existing companies. Money was not sent there ... For those who understand commerce, trade and entrepreneurship, there is no problem in these actions," he said.
"A person who is engaged in commerce can establish companies at home and abroad, sell companies, buy companies, make money transactions and receive money," he added, also denying that Mustafa Gündoğan has ever been his executive assistant.
"DOCUMENTS ARE FAKE, LIE, SLANDER"
Almost all pro-government media claimed that the documents are a product of a collaboration between the CHP and FETÖ. Moreover, pro-government Yeni Şafak newspaper described the reveal of the documents as a "second coup attempt against the government", while he portrayed the main opposition leader as a target, saying that "Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is now a question of national security and a representative of terrorist organisations".
CHP filed a parliamentary motion requesting an investigation into its allegations, which Kılıçdaroğlu says he can back with documents detailing some $14 million in money transfers by members of Erdogan's family to the Isle of Man. CHP has filed a complaint about state-broadcaster TRT for cutting the live broadcast of Kılıçdaroğlu's parliamentary group speech, in which he revealed the documents.
TKP: 'RESIGN IMMEDIATELY!'
The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) released a statement calling on Erdoğan to resign immediately following the reports showing the engagement of family members of Erdoğan in the transaction of millions of dollars to a foreign company via offshore bank accounts.
The TKP says that the imperialist operation does not absolve Erdoğan's AKP government, but shows that the people must get rid of the AKP party as immediate as possible. "Turkey under the rule of Erdoğan and the AKP is open to all kinds of operation, blackmailing, traps. Because there are many crimes, all of which have been documented," the statement underlines.
