Turkish opposition leader Akşener targeted by government supporters

Supporters of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have targeted centre-right opposition leader Meral Akşener during a visit to the northern town of İkizdere on Wednesday.

Akşener, who heads the nationalist Good Party (İYİP), was meeting local shop owners when she was approached by a woman who accused her of supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“What are you doing here, cooperating with the PKK?” the woman asked, according to Turkish news outlet Karar.

A subsequent confrontation between Akşener’s supporters and a group of pro-government protesters cut the visit short.

İkizdere in the Black Sea province of Rize, the hometown of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been the focus of rising political tensions over controversial plans to build an industrial quarry in the nearby countryside.

Cengiz Holding, a conglomerate with close ties to the AKP government, is pushing ahead with the project despite strong resistance from locals, who say the environmental damage will ruin their livelihoods.

On a later trip to villages impacted by the quarry, Akşener hit back at Erdoğan, who is seeking damages from the İYİP leader over comments she made on Tuesday comparing him to Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The money I make is halal. Mr Erdoğan sues me when he needs halal money,” she told reporters.

? Iyi Party leader Meral Akşener, who is being pursued by President Erdoğan for 250,000 TL in damages after comparing him to Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, said:
“Mr. Erdogan sues me when he needs halal money”. pic.twitter.com/xh560QF9jM

— Ahval (@ahval_en) May 20, 2021

A staunch opponent of Erdoğan from within Turkey’s right-wing nationalist tradition, Akşener’s growing popularity means she is being increasingly considered as a potential joint opposition candidate for presidential elections scheduled to take place in 2023, the country’s centenary.  

A survey conducted earlier this month by polling company Turkey Report found the İYİP leader to be more highly regarded by the public than any politician other than Erdoğan. 

While the Turkish president’s personal approval rating remains relatively strong, support for his government has fallen in recent months as a weak lira, high-inflation, and the COVID-19 pandemic have taken a toll on the economy.