Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) parliamentary group deputy chairman Özgür Özel on Sunday said that CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu would reveal “big news” on Tuesday if President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım do not disclose the facts about who provided official documents to Turkish-Iranian gold trader Reza Zarrab, who is testifying for the prosecution in New York federal court, CNN Turk reported.
“On Tuesday a big bombshell will explode. Our chairman will speak in front of 25,000 people about from who and in return for what Zarrab got these documents,” said Özel.
Zarrab testified in New York federal court on Nov. 30 that Turkey’s then-prime minister and current president Erdoğan personally authorized the involvement of Turkish banks in a scheme to evade US sanctions on Iran.
After Zarrab’s revelations in New York, the property of Zarrab and his family members was seized on Nov. 30 as part of an investigation into espionage and providing confidential official information to a foreign government, launched by the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Recently, the CHP leader has been the target of Erdoğan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government after revealing documents allegedly showing that Erdoğan’s close circle sent about $15 million to an offshore company called Bellway Limited on the Isle of Man.
Erdoğan and members of his family on Dec. 1 filed a lawsuit against Kılıçdaroğlu for TL 1.5 million ($380,000) in damages for creating hatred in society of the president and his family.