Deputy PM slams CHP head's remarks on Turkey

Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ Wednesday accused the main opposition party leader of contributing to disseminating misperceptions about Turkey with his remarks to a German weekly.

Bozdağ's remarks came after Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's recent remarks in an interview with German weekly Focus, in which he talked about an alleged lack of security in Turkey.

"In Turkey, there is currently no guarantee of security for anyone, neither for life nor for property," the CHP leader said, adding it was "not safe" for Germans to travel to Turkey.

"Kılıçdaroğlu's statement is a major blow to the Turkish economy and Turkish tourism," Bozdağ said.

"When you read the interview, you can clearly see that the questions of the Focus magazine official were asked to get the answers Germany [already] expects in regards to its criticism towards Turkey," Bozdağ said.

"However," he added, "it is very strange that Kılıçdaroğlu did not [behave] like Turkey's main opposition party [leader]."

"A main opposition party leader does not speak in a way that leads the economy of his own country to suffer and puts its people in a difficult situation," Bozdağ said.