Turkish authorities have detained 13 people involved in an incident with aggressive actions against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu during his campaign rally in Erzurum. According to TASS, this was announced by the Minister of Justice of the Republic Bekir Bozdag.
“On the fact of the incident, an investigation is underway, legal proceedings are ongoing. A decision was made to detain persons who are considered guilty of the incident. There are currently 13 people in custody. The investigation is conducted by both the Prosecutor General’s Office and local justice authorities, ”TRT TV channel quotes the minister.
Bozdag added that the authorities are examining the available camera footage. Upon completion of all investigative measures, a decision will be made on the final measure of restraint. He also wished all the victims a speedy recovery and noted that the pre-election campaign must continue without such incidents and in accordance with democratic norms.
The incident took place on May 7 in the city of Erzurum in eastern Turkey. Imamoglu was speaking to the public when several people started throwing stones at the podium and the bus that brought the speakers. According to the mayor, 10-15 people were injured. Because of this act of aggression, he himself managed to speak for only 15 minutes, after which he left the area by bus. Later, photos of this bus with broken windows and damage to the body were published on social networks.
The mayor of Istanbul said that he lays responsibility for what happened on the local authorities, who, in his opinion, did not take the necessary security measures and were inactive. He intended to sue the governor of Erzurum.
Imamoglu represents an opposition alliance whose single candidate, Republican People’s Party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, is running in the upcoming May 14 Turkish presidential election. If the representative wins the election, he can take the position of vice-president of the country.
Source: Rosbalt
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