🔴 Turkey's National Defence Minister Hulusi Akar caused uproar in social media after endorsing supporters ready to "shoot at his command" during a campaign speech for the parliamentary elections.https://t.co/eZTZJgxAjo pic.twitter.com/z4KLHPr26n
— MedyaNews (@1MedyaNews) April 17, 2023
Turkey’s National Defence Minister Hulusi Akar caused an uproar in social media on Sunday after he endorsed supporters ready to “shoot at his command” during a campaign speech for the coming parliamentary elections.
Turkey’s National Defence Minister Hulusi Akar caused an uproar in social media on Sunday after he endorsed supporters ready to “shoot at his command” during a campaign speech for the coming parliamentary elections.
When his supporters chanted, “We will shoot at your command, we will die at your command” during a speech in the central province of Kayseri, the Minister responded: “That time will come too, wait for it.”
Akar’s words have been met with criticism and outrage from the opposition who have accused him of making threats, encouraging violence and promoting a dangerous military mentality.
“Ten years ago, Erdoğan criticised [Devlet] Bahçeli* as ‘irresponsible’ for his responding to the chant of, ‘We will shoot at your command’ with, ‘That time will come’. Today Bahçeli is on his side… and his National Defence Minister Hulusi Akar says to people shouting ‘We will shoot at your command!’, ‘That time will come’. Irresponsible!” said journalist Can Dündar, who lives in exile and has been sentenced in absentia to imprisonment on charges of espionage.
“Who will you shoot? Who will you kill? Who are you lining up?” Cemal Enginyurt, Deputy Chairman of the Democratic Party, asked on Twitter.
Saying that Turkey’s cross-border operations continue “with determination”, Akar emphasised the “national and domestic” stance of the AKP-led People’s Alliance and asked voters for their support in the approaching elections.
Turkey continues to launch military attacks on Kurdish forces in northern Iraq and northeastern Syria despite the Kurdish forces’ declaration that it would refrain from military action due to the recent earthquake disaster.
*AKP’s far-right ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Devlet Bahçeli
