Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and members of his family on Friday filed a lawsuit against main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu for TL 1.5 million ($380,000) in damages for creating hatred in society against the president and his family, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
According to the news, the petition, which was signed by President Erdoğan, his son Ahmet Burak Erdoğan, his brother Mustafa Erdoğan, his brother-in-law Ziya İlgen, the father-in-law of his son Osman Ketenci and businessman Mustafa Gündoğan, accuses Kılıçdaroğlu of creating hatred in society againt them by making false claims along with insult, humiliation and derogation during a speech on Nov. 28.
Testing President Erdoğan’s challenge that he would resign if anyone were to reveal any documents proving allegations that he has money in offshore tax havens, Kılıçdaroğlu said during his party meeting in Parliament on Nov. 28 that Erdoğan’s brother-in-law, brother, son and son’s father-in-law and his former executive assistant sent about $15 million to an offshore company called Bellway Limited on the Isle of Mann between December 2011 and January 2012.
On Nov. 24 Erdoğan filed another lawsuit against Kılıçdaroğlu for TL 1.5 million in non-pecuniary damages due to a speech on Nov. 21.
Kılıçdaroğlu had said in an address in Istanbul: “Dear Erdoğan, do you know that your children, your brother-in-law, the father-in-law of your [son], your brother and your former principal clerk have sent millions of dollars to a tax haven?”