Kılıçdaroğlu calls on AKP to stop abusing religious feelings after Justice Minister’s divisive remarks

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ has divided the society into two fractions, by saying that Turkey will face two completely different pictures on the evening of May 14, depending on the results of the elections.

“There will be one of the two pictures in Turkey on May 14 evening. There will be those who will either pop up champagne and will celebrate this (election win) until the morning, or there will be those who will praise God by putting their clean forehead in sajdah (position) for gratitude. It is in our hands, our sacred nation to form one of these two (pictures). Let’s decide well whom we will make happy that night. It will either be Kandil or Şanlıurfa’s noble people who will rejoice,” Bozdağ said on April 27 during a meeting in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa.

Bozdağ is a parliamentarian candidate of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) from Şanlıurfa in the elections.

In an attempt to attract nationalist votes, the government frequently accuses the opposition of having links to terrorism and utilizes the “Kandil” remark, in reference to the base of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Opposition Nation Alliance’s presidential candidate and Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu slammed Bozdağ over his remarks, saying that it was time “to have politicians retired who speak with the codes of Middle Eastern swamp.”

“Let’s see when the Hagia Sophia Mosque propaganda will start. Everything is advertisement for these (AKP politicians). They have nothing sacred, common (values), only propaganda. What they have done to our common values? Clean forehead belongs to those who don’t steal, beat, touch illicit (haram) and leave their people hungry. Period!” Kılıçdaroğu tweeted.