The leader of the Turkish opposition and secretary general of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Özgür Özel, was physically assaulted on Sunday as he left the funeral held at the Atatürk Cultural Centre in Istanbul following the death of prominent Turkish politician Sırrı Süreyya Önder, the architect of peace negotiations with the PKK, who died yesterday after suffering a heart attack.
Turkish media reported that the attack took place as the CHP party president was leaving the Atatürk Cultural Centre, located next to Istanbul’s iconic Taksim Square, when a man approached him and struck him hard on the forehead. Özel’s bodyguards quickly intervened, restraining the attacker and trying to protect the opposition leader, who was escorted to a vehicle in which he left the scene.
‘We must not allow the actions of this attacker to set a precedent. There have been previous assassination attempts against party leaders, and some have been imprisoned. There is a lot of misinformation circulating. I consider this attack an assault on the political class. We must work together,’ Özel said in his first statements after being attacked.
Erdoğan speaks on the phone with the opposition leader
Upon hearing the news of the attack, Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan telephoned the leader of the Turkish opposition ‘to convey his support and wishes for a speedy recovery. The president has stated that he is closely following the investigation to uncover all aspects of this incident,’ said a spokesperson for the Presidency of the Republic.
‘We condemn the attack on CHP leader Özgür Özel. Any attack on a political institution is unacceptable, and the attacker will be held accountable before the law. We condemn this aggression and consider it as an attack on ourselves,’ said Ömer Çelik, spokesperson for Erdoğan’s AKP party.
For his part, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the arrest of the assailant: ‘I strongly condemn the physical attack on CHP President Mr Özgür Özel and send him my best wishes,’ the minister said. Yerlikaya explained that the individual involved in the assault has been identified as S.T. and is in custody. He appears to be a person with a criminal record, with at least three previous convictions, and is currently unemployed. However, the motives for his action are not yet known.
VOTE
EDITORIAL TEAM
🧿 About us
.
Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
…
📣 Your ADVERTISING on Hispanatolia
.
🤗 HELP US WITH A DONATION:
💗 Paypal
