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ANKARA, Sept 13 (AFP) - 13h05 - A man suspected
of plotting to kill Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan was described in the press Tuesday as
a mentally unstable nationalist dissatisfied with
Ankara's response to a rekindled Kurdish rebellion
in the country's southeast.
The suspect, who hid his gun in a loaf of bread, was
detained Monday in the western city of Kutahya as he
tried to approach the bus Erdogan was boarding after
a ceremony there, yelling abuse at the prime
minister.
The man, identified as Mustafa Bagdat, told police
he had "nationalist feelings" and was unhappy with
what he saw as government inaction against
separatist Kurdish rebels, the wide-circulation
Hurriyet newspaper reported.
"The government is doing nothing while our soldiers
are being martyred every day. I am very much
disturbed by this," he was quoted as saying in
statement to the police.
In television footage of the incident, Bagdat was
heard yelling at Erdogan: "We lost five martyrs
yesterday. Do you care at all?"
He was referring to the death of five soldiers
Sunday in clashes with militants of the rebel
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has markedly
intensified attacks on the Turkish army in the
mainly Kurdish southeast.
In a landmark speech last month, Erdogan pledged
that the Kurdish conflict would be resolved with
"more democracy," drawing angry reactions from
nationalists.
Police officials, quoted by the daily Sabah,
described Bagdat as "psychologically unstable but
not insane."
Kutahya's chief prosecutor said Monday that the
"initial assessment" of the incident showed that
Bagdat was plotting to assassinate Erdogan.
Police seized a blank pistol modified to fire real
bullets hidden in one of two loaves of bread Bagdat
was carrying in a plastic bag.
Bagdat remained in police custody Tuesday and was
yet to be formally charged.
Erdogan played down the incident, saying that some
people in Turkey "have not yet understood
democracy."
"There is only one authority we are accountable to
and that is God," he said late Monday. "And
concerning our responsibility to the people, we are
held accountable at every election."
AFP
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