Erdogan calls Turkish deputy "terrorist"

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called a deputy "terrorist" after the deputy recently said in a live Webcast that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) "will be disbanded because it is an organization of crime."

Ahmet Sik, Istanbul deputy for the Workers' Party of Turkey (TIP) in the Turkish Grand Assembly, said on Medyascope's Webcast on Monday:

"We are talking about a network the members of which will face trial over charges of organized crime. Those who are clean, who haven't been involved in criminal activities shall remain in the Parliament, but the AKP will face closure in this context. Once the current period has been closed, the AKP will no longer be treated as a political party. It will be disbanded because it is an organization of crime. They will say, 'This is a crime organization disguised as a political party.'"

Asked about Sik's remarks, the Turkish President and the leader of the AKP said on Friday:

"First of all, this person is a terrorist. It's a wonder how he did it, but he somehow managed to become a deputy, and he's now making such remarks. And he nevertheless takes a terrorist's stance once again even as he continues to live in a country governed by law (...) He has neither the power to close the AKP, nor to convict us. He'd better try to find a way to save himself first, because he's a person who has been involved with many terror groups."

Erdogan added that lawsuits against Sik will follow after his term in the parliament has ended.

Ahmet Sik responded to Erdogan on Twitter:

"When you are no more in power and when the law is restored in the country, the members of the judiciary who respect the law instead of their own interests, unlike those current ones who you turned into puppets, they will decide who is a terrorist and who is a crime boss. Then we'll talk about all these things."