Following the moving memorial service for the late DEM Party MP Sırrı Süreyya Önder at the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) in Istanbul, the chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Özgür Özel, was physically assaulted as he left the building. The attack immediately caused outrage and was condemned by the Peoples' Party for Equality and Democracy (DEM) as a deliberate provocation.

A man physically attacked Özgür Özel as he was leaving the AKM and struck him in the face. The perpetrator is said to have identified himself as “I am a child of the Ottoman Empire” before carrying out the attack. Özel was immediately taken to safety by his bodyguards and left the premises under police protection.

The police arrested the attacker at the scene. He was identified as Selçuk T., born in 1959. According to the Turkish Interior Ministry, he had previously been convicted of serious crimes. In 2004, he killed two of his children and injured two others in Iskenderun district of Hatay.

DEM Party: An attack on peace

The DEM party responded with sharp criticism and solidarity with the CHP chairman. An official statement by the party said: “This despicable attack is not only directed at Özgür Özel personally, but is a provocation against the political values that Sırrı Süreyya Önder stood for: peace, democracy, and a life of solidarity.”

The party emphasized that this attack was a deliberate attempt at political intimidation, especially at a time of collective mourning for an inclusive figure such as Önder.

The DEM Party called upon the authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident and disclose any possible political motives. The party expressed its full solidarity with Özel and thanked him for attending the memorial service.

Bakırhan and Hatimoğulları: We know the intention behind this darkness

The co-chairs of the DEM party, Tuncer Bakırhan and Tülay Hatimoğulları, condemned the attack in a joint written statement, which said: “We condemn this heinous attack with the utmost determination and anger. It is not only directed against one person, but against the values for which Sırrı Süreyya Önder lived, against the principle of peaceful coexistence, against the idea of reconciliation and cooperation between peoples.”

The statement continued: “At a time of profound shared grief, this attack is directed at our collective memory. We know the intention behind this darkness. The people of this republic will not bow to such sinister scenarios. We have conveyed our wishes for a speedy recovery to Mr Özel by telephone and are now doing so publicly.”

Tanrıkulu: A provocateur and a disgrace to the country

CHP member of parliament Sezgin Tanrıkulu also condemned the attack. He called the perpetrator a “shameless, despicable provocateur” and demanded a full investigation into the incident. The politician also warned of the social consequences of increasing tolerance toward politically motivated violence.

Attack in the midst of a memorial service for peace

The memorial service for Sırrı Süreyya Önder was attended by numerous representatives of the democratic opposition, including Özgür Özel. Önder was known as a bridge builder between peoples, a political mediator, and a voice for peace. He died on Saturday as a result of multiple organ failure following a severe heart attack. A funeral march is currently taking place in Istanbul. After a prayer in a mosque, Önder will be buried at the Zincirlikuyu Cemetery.