Ozel was slapped in the face after attending the funeral in Istanbul. The attacker was immediately detained and taken into custody, the opposition ANKA media outlet reported.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Ozel after the attack “to express his best wishes for a speedy recovery, and stated that he is closely following the process to ensure the incident is fully investigated,” Fahrettin Altun, head of communications for the Turkish presidency, said on X.
The attack was strongly condemned by Erdogan and major voices across Turkey, including the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party).
“This attack is essentially a provocation for the search for peace and a democratic society, embodied by Sirri Sureyya Onder,” the DEM Party said in a statement, condemning the attack and wishing a speedy recovery.
Onder, 62, was a member of the Turkish parliament on the ticket of the DEM Party. He was part of the Imrali delegation that visited jailed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader in his Imrali island prison and is mediating peace talks between the PKK and the Turkish state. His death comes at a pivotal moment in the negotiations.
The attacker, identified as 66-year-old S.T., has a criminal record from a 2004 trial for killing two of his children and injuring the two others. “There is no sign of mental illness, according to the first determinations,” ANKA said, citing a statement from Istanbul’s public prosecutor.
“He has a record for theft and crimes of threat. S.T., who was sentenced to life imprisonment, was released on parole in 2020,” the interior ministry said, and Minister Ali Yerlikaya asserted that the assailant “will receive the punishment he deserves before the law.”
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) also condemned the attack.
“We condemn the attack on CHP leader Ozgur Ozel. We extend our best wishes to Mr. Ozel. No attack on the institution of politics is acceptable. The attacker will be held accountable before the law,” AKP spokesperson Omer Celik said.
