In Istanbul, an unsettling incident unfolded on Sunday involving Turkey’s primary opposition party leader. Ozgur Ozel, at the helm of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), faced an assault following a memorial event. As he exited the Ataturk Cultural Center, a man with white hair approached and slapped Ozel across the face. Fortunately, according to the reports, Ozel emerged from the altercation unharmed.
Authorities reacted swiftly, apprehending the assailant, who was identified by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. Subsequent statements from the Interior Ministry revealed disturbing details about the aggressor’s past. The attacker, a 66-year-old man, had been previously incarcerated for the 2004 killings of his own children, a crime involving both shooting and stabbing. Released on parole in 2020, his reemergence in such a violent manner has reignited concerns about the safety of public figures in Turkey.
This incident underscores ongoing fears surrounding political security in the nation. It echoes a similar event from 2019 when Kemal Kilicdaroglu, former leader of the CHP, was violently attacked at a soldier’s funeral in Ankara province. Such occurrences highlight the persistent volatility and risks faced by those in Turkey’s political arena.