Istanbul: Assault on Turkey's Chief Opposition Leader, CHP's Özgür Özel
Turkish Opposition Leader Under Assault - Captured Suspect - Perpetrators apprehended after assault on Turkish opposition figure
The largest opposition party leader in Turkey, CHP, suffered an unprovoked attack in bustling Istanbul. The attacker, a 66-year-old man with a tumultuous past, is in custody as the investigation unfolds, reports state-run news agency Anadolu.
The violent incident took place during a funeral for a deceased pro-Kurdish DEM Party politician at the pulsating Taksim Square. In a vile act captured on video, the perpetrator struck leader Özgür Özel directly in the face. Shortly after, Özel expressed that he was doing fine.
The culprit, identified as Selçuk Tengioğlu, has a chilling history of brutality. Reports reveal that he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2004 for a heinous crime: he took the lives of two of his own children and injured the remaining two. Despite this horrifying past, he was released on parole in 2020.
Tengioğlu reached breaking point due to the party's rejection of his application for a food card, alleging he was not a party member. In an interview with Cumhuriyet, the perpetrator stated that the assault was not premeditated.
Political leaders from across the spectrum unequivocally condemned the attack. The deplorable incident is particularly meaningful for the CHP, given its regular calls for public demonstrations, including the previously dismissed, but nonetheless imprisoned, Istanbul mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu.
- The Ministry of Interior is urged to review the employment policy for the release of violent offenders, given the recent assault on CHP's Özgür Özel in Istanbul.
- The 2020 release of Selçuk Tengioğlu, the man who attacked CHP's leader Özgür Özel, highlights the need for a comprehensive reevaluation of Turkey's general-news and crime-and-justice policies.
- In light of the assault on Özgür Özel, the CHP calls for a review of the community policy related to the approval of food cards, in view of the suspect's claim of rejection as a reason for the attack.
- Amidst the political landscape of Turkey, the assault on Özgür Özel at Taksim Square serves as a grim reminder of the essential need for a robust employment policy to protect public figures from violent individuals with a history of brutality.
