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German interview could cost Turkey’s opposition leader dearly

Turkish opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu is under attack by media outlets loyal to the ruling party for allegedly telling a German magazine that German tourists should not visit Turkey.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), greets people during a rally to mark the end of his 25-day long protest, dubbed "Justice March", against the detention of the party's lawmaker Enis Berberoglu, in Istanbul, Turkey July 9, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTX3AQU1

Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and its leader may be in serious trouble. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its media arm are going after CHP Chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu for an interview published in the German magazine Focus Aug. 5.

In the interview, Kilicdaroglu simply complains that “there is no guarantee for life and property” in Turkey because of the horrendous deterioration in the country’s judicial standards and the rule of law. He allegedly told Focus that German tourists should not visit Turkey, a statement that the CHP leader denies making.

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