Turkish Interior Minister Soylu says they will ‘stomp on’ opposition after elections

Speaking at an event in Istanbul, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu has said that the opposition is very excited to see President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan leaving the office and added, "We will stomp on the opposition after May 14 when Erdoğan wins."

Thursday May 11 2023 10:11 pm

Duvar English

Interior Minister and ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) deputy candidate Süleyman Soylu on May 11 held a rally in Istanbul and threatened the opposition once again as he occasionally did during the election process.

Speaking on the May 14 elections, Soylu said, "They are stomping on the table for Tayyip Erdoğan to go. We will stomp on the opposition after May 14 when Erdoğan wins."

He also stated that he had been declared as persona non grata twice by the United States and added, “If you don't declare me a hundred thousand times, I would feel offended.”

Soylu also revitalized his neo-Ottoman fantasies, stating, “It will be up to us to revive the 600-year Ottoman legacy.”

The governing People’s Alliance has been threatening the opposition since the election campaigns started. Far-right ruling coalition partner Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli on May 6 said that the opposition will either receive “aggravated life sentences” after the May 14 elections or “bullets in their bodies.”