Erdogan calls Kilicdaroglu a liar, asks people for understanding

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan targeted main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu during his visit to earthquake hit province of Hatay, calling him "liar" in an address on Sunday.

"His sole occupation is telling lies, he has nothing else to offer," Erdogan said. "In such a disaster, while we are trying to rescue lives, he thinks only of lying. It's not always possible to avoid a situation that's beyond one's capabilities, it's not always possible to avoid troubles, but at a time when we're going through such a great disaster, how can somebody be involved in so many lies and so much slander all the time?"

He continued:

"He's such a liar that he dares even say that I haven't visited this place, can you believe that? When did YOU visit? I've visited this place three times either by my own or with my friends. I sent my delegation, my ministers immediately the first day."

He went on to ask for the understanding of the people, like he earlier did in Adiyaman on 27 February, but this time did not admit shortcomings in the government's response:

"If you've suffered from difficulties despite the fact that we did everything in our capacity, as our nation witnessed, we can only ask for your understanding."