ISTANBUL – CHP Chair Özgür Özel was physically attacked outside the AKM following the funeral ceremony for Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Deputy Speaker of Parliament and member of the İmralı Delegation from the DEM Party.
The incident occurred shortly after Özel left the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM), where he had attended the memorial event. An unidentified man struck him in the face. Özel was quickly escorted away by his security team.
CHP Amed (Diyarbakır) MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu reacted strongly to the incident, stating: “A shameless, vile provocateur. Someone who identified himself as an ‘Ottoman child.’”
The assailant was detained by police shortly after the attack. It was alleged that just before the incident, the man was seen holding a microphone branded with A Haber, a prostate media.
It was revealed that the attacker was Selçuk Tengioğlu and that he had killed his cildren Barış and Mutlu in İskenderun in 2004. It was also stated that Tengioğlu had many criminal records.
DEM PARTY CONDEMNS THE ATTACK
The Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party condemned the attack on Özgür Özel, calling it "despicable".
In a statement, DEM Party said, "This attack is fundamentally a provocation aimed at the pursuit of peace and democratic society, represented by Sırrı Süreyya Önder; it targets the funeral ceremony and our party's policies of peace and brotherhood. We urge those responsible to immediately expose this provocation. We extend our best wished to Mr. Özgür Özel, who has consistently supported the pursuit of peace and democratic society."