Continuing to attack the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) during his nonstop “yes” campaign ahead of an April 16 referendum on a switch to an executive presidency, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan challenged a CHP deputy, saying, “Come and sweep us into the Aegean Sea in İzmir,” the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
CHP deputy Hüsnü Bozkurt said in a campaign speech that “yes” voters would be “thrown into the sea” in İzmir after April 16.
“Look! Here are the people who will vote ‘yes.’ Come on! Let’s see how you sweep them into the sea,” said Erdoğan in a campaign speech in İzmir.
Erdoğan also strongly criticized CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu for not taking disciplinary action against Bozkurt.
‘Europeans have gone crazy’
As at all recent rallies, Erdoğan also strongly targeted European Union countries.
“You have seen what happened in Europe. Why did they go crazy? Turkey is leaping, growing. This makes them crazy,” said Erdoğan, reiterating that Ankara would reassess relations with the EU after April 16.
Underlining that he expects a high rate of voter participation from expatriate Turks living in Europe, Erdoğan said:
“Europe will pay for what they have done because they have oppressed our citizens there, humiliated them. Our nation will pay somebody back soon. God willing, we will make them pay the price after April 16.”
On Thursday President Erdoğan said Europe is the center of Nazism today and will pay a heavy price for it.
“Europe is finished. But they will pay a heavy price. During this process [EU-Turkey relations] all those things they used to claim they defend have crashed to the ground,” Erdoğan said during a referendum rally in Balıkesir.