The pre-election climate in Turkey is further strengthened by the stone-throwing of supporters of Ekrem Imamoglu and the apparent apathy of the Turkish police. In addition to the mayor of Istanbul himself, Turkish mass media are also talking about provocations. At least nine people listening to him in Erzurum were injured when stones were thrown at them, he said on Twitter.

“Right now in Erzurum there is tension that we would not like to see. Look, they are throwing stones… The mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglou, was forced to leave the area immediately. Imamoglou leaves the area so that the people who had gathered are not in danger. Imamoglu faces a great provocation” commented characteristically the presenter of the television network HALK TV as broadcast by Manolis Kostidis.

As the incidents did not stop, he himself fled from his security men and moved away from the gathering place.

“Our mayor is in the back of the bus and we’re leaving for the airport. All the windows of the bus were broken. There were thousands of people there and the police just watched as they threw stones at us from the sidewalk, In the gathering there are dozens of injured people. The police did not use tear gas, glob even a simple operation” complained the member of the Republican People’s Party Özgün Nama.

“Here, look what they threw at us… The driver gave it to us. 5 point wide marble. Do you see it?’ showed the marble to reporters.

“We were attacked by gray wolves and extreme Islamists of HUDA PAR” appreciate the officials of the mayor of Istanbul.

For the incidents, Imamoglu attacked the police, the police chief and the city’s prefect, stressing that they did nothing to prevent them.

“I know, today’s challenges upset my brothers from Erzerum. A handful of people did. We know who did it, we know the ones who did it” said opposition presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu, among others.

The Minister of the Interior Suleiman Soylu however, he added fuel to the fire with his statements: “Ekrem Imamoglu, who calls the people in Erzurum provocateurs, is himself a provocateur”, he reported.