‘Shut up,’ Erdoğan’s spokesperson tells US congressman

ANKARA

İbrahim Kalın

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s spokesperson has slammed a U.S. congressman who said on social media that he would not be celebrating Erdoğan’s June 24 election win.

“President Erdoğan certainly does not need YOUR @RepAdamSchiff congratulations. Turkish people have spoken up. You need to shut up,” said İbrahim Kalın in a tweet on June 26.

He was writing in response to a tweet from U.S. congressman Adam Schiff that read as follows: “Erdogan ‘won’ reelection in Turkey this weekend only by decimating the opposition through arrests, violence and squashing freedom of the press. Turkey’s descent into autocracy is another reminder that democracy is under assault worldwide. DO NOT CONGRATULATE.”

Erdoğan won the election on June 24, becoming the first president of the new executive presidential system.