ANKARA, March 21. /TASS/. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the authorities will not sit idly by as the opposition sows chaos in the country's streets.
"We are witnessing attempts to create chaos in the streets of Istanbul, using an anti-corruption operation as a pretext. We will not turn a blind eye to these attempts to threaten our nation’s peace and terrorize Turkey just to cover up schemes of illicit gains and plundering. The protests are illegal, and we will not give in to this street terrorism. During the protests, our policemen were harmed, and I wish them a speedy recovery," he said during a speech in Istanbul.
He said when addressing Ozgur Ozel, the leader of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), who had earlier urged the party’s supporters to take to the streets, that "the path you are walking on, Ozel, is a dead end." "It is obvious that the CHP must distance itself from not just these bandits who invaded municipalities, but also from all fringe structures and terrorist organizations," the Turkish president emphasized.
Since Wednesday, protests have been taking place in various Turkish cities due to the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. He has been charged with corruption and having links to terrorists.