site.btaTurkiye’s Interior Minister Yerlikaya Vows to 'Find Criminals Taking Action against President Erdogan'

As quoted by Turkish media, Turkiye's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya claimed Wednesday that some forces are trying to take action against President Recep Erdogan and the country’s government. Yerlikaya's statement came as a response to Devlet Bahceli, Chairperson of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), who made warning about a potential coup attempt. The far-right, nationalist MHP is an ally of President Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

Bahceli argued that a conspiracy was being prepared against the alliance of the MHP and the AK Party. The nationalists' leader added that some police and judiciary officials were planning to repeat the 2016 coup attempt. According to Turkish authorities, the FETO (Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation) group of US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen was behind the coup attempt in July 2016. More than 250 people were killed and more than 2,500 injured in clashes between the belligerents.

Bahceli made the startling claim a few days earlier in May following an operation against the Ayhan Bora Kaplan criminal organisation in which high-ranking police officers were arrested.

On Wednesday, Yerlikaya said: "Attempts are being made to mislead our government, we will identify the organisation whose actions are directed against our President. Just as we infiltrated the traitors’ lair in the fight against the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and FETO, we will find those criminals wherever they are hiding".

On Tuesday, Erdogan conferred with Turkiye’s National Intelligence Organization Director Ibrahim Kalin and Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc.