Turkish opposition journalist Serdar Akinan said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attacked him in 2005 while being the PM, Ahval reported.

Akinan said the incident followed Erdogan's refusal to answer his questions during a briefing in Abu Dhabi.

According to the journalist, Erdogan grabbed his neck with his right hand and headed for the exit.

Once outside the conference room, Erdogan began to squeeze his neck. 

Akinan has worked for a number of opposition media outlets, notably the Milliyet and Cumhuriyet newspapers, as well as CNN Turk, NTV, Haberturk, and Star.