Turkish Opposition Challenger Imamoglu Blames Govt for Erzurum Violence

Imamoglu speaks to the crowd in Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen Airport. Photo: Istanbul Municipality

Addressing tens of thousands of Istanbulites who came to welcome him back at the city airport, he said: "Those people [his supporters] waited helplessly. There was no intervention. There was water cannon. It didn't squirt a single drop … even though I warned the police there, no action was taken."

Days before critical May 14 elections, a crowd of 200 to 300 supporters of incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attacked Imamoglu and his supporters with stones during a rally in Erzurum.

Dozens of people, including Imamoglu's bodyguards, were injured and had to be hospitalised. Imamoglu's campaign bus was also damaged.

After Interior Minister Soylu said the whole event was a piece of theatre and downplayed it, Imamoglu's response was furious. "Shameless man, slanderer, lier. A man who lost his morals," he said.

Erzurum City Governor Okay Memis said the police did everything they could but admitted that no one had been taken into custody.

"Our work continues. We also have images. Necessary intervention was made. If need be, detention procedures will also be carried out in relation to detention, it can be done," Memis said.

During the attacks, video footage BIRN has seen show that the police stood by and watched the attackers hit dozens of people and the campaign bus with cobblestones.

Imamoglu tried to ease the tension with a speech but was urgently evacuated from the city centre to the airport due to the security risk.

The attackers later formed a convoy in the city and celebrated the attack with flags of President Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party, AKP and its far-right ally, the Nationalist Movement...