Turkey accuses ex-French diplomat of inciting Erdogan assassination

Turkey has filed an official lawsuit against a former French diplomat, accusing him of inciting an act of assassination against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after the results of a recent constitutional referendum tipped the power scale in favor of the Turkish leader.

Erdogan’s lawyer made the complaint against Philippe Moreau Defarges on Monday, calling for an investigation into remarks by the former diplomat who had earlier said that all legal paths to challenge Erdogan after the April 16 referendum had been shut off and that the only two options left for Turkey were “civil war” or “assassination.”

In a four-page petition to the Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office, Huseyin Aydin accused Defarges of “attempting assassination and assault," saying that the comments were not a simple expression of opinion, but were "clearly instigating the crime in question."

“In light of the terrorist groups which have been hosted by many European countries and all the incidents urging assassination of our president that took place there, it is clear that the suspect’s remarks are far from a simple opinion, but are in fact an incitement,” Erdogan’s lawyer said.

Aydin said the former French diplomat, now a senior fellow at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), needed to undergo mental health checks if he ever came to Turkey, adding, "If he is in good health mentally, his alleged links with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) or US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen blamed by the Turkish government for orchestrating the failed July coup should be investigated."

Following a large backlash in Turkey, Defarges (pictured above) offered his "sincere apologies" for his remarks, called them “inappropriate” and expressed his “deepest sadness.”

In the April 16 referendum, Erdogan's ‘Yes’ campaign won 51.36 percent of the votes, while the ‘No’ campaign gained 48.64 percent. The opposition has described the referendum as deeply flawed and staged protests in the country ever since.

Supporters of the fresh constitutional changes argue that they will modernize the country, but opponents fear a possible authoritarian rule.

Under the new system, the office and position of prime minister would be scrapped in Turkey and the president would be granted executive powers to directly appoint top public officials, including ministers, and assign one or several vice presidents.

It further states that Turkey’s next presidential and parliamentary elections will be held simultaneously on November 3, 2019 and the head of state would have a five-year tenure, for a maximum of two terms.

The constitutional changes would mean that Erdogan could stay in power until 2029.       

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