4 suspects detained over attack on Future Party Vice Chair Özdağ

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA) - Archive

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Four more suspects have been detained over the attack on opposition Future Party Vice Chair Selçuk Özdağ.

The detention of the suspects has been announced by the Ankara Provincial Security Directorate. In a brief message on Twitter, the directorate has said, "Four suspects were caught and detained on January 27 over the physical assault on Future Party Vice Chair Selçuk Özdağ on January 15, 2021. The suspects will be referred to the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office after the related formalities are completed at our Directorate."

Two people were previously arrested as part of the investigation launched into the attack on the politician in the capital city of Ankara.

Bahçeli said 'He had organized it himself'

In his weekly Parliamentary Group meeting yesterday (January 27), Devlet Bahçeli, the Chair of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), argued that the attack had nothing to do with the MHP and accused Selçuk Özdağ of "organizing an attack on himself."

Speaking to Gazete Duvar website after these remarks, Özdağ has announced that he will file a criminal complaint against Bahçeli and said:

"I invite Mr. President, Minister of Interior and Minister of Justice to duty. Uncover the perpetrators and the ones behind them.

"Taken together with these 3 attacks, 18 attacks in total have recently targeted journalists and politicians. Let the Historical Traffic Search (HTS) records of these attacks be examined. Take the files from the regular prosecutor's office and review them together. Investigate them one by one."

Özdağ has also responded to the remarks of Bahçeli, who argued that Özdağ "had placed a camera at the balcony of his house and had the moment of attack be captured." Özdağ has briefly said:

"Where in my house was a camera placed? I have been doing politics for 45 years. Bahçeli has to prove this."

What happened?

Selçuk Özdağ was attacked by five people in front of his house in the capital city of Ankara on January 15, 2021. As part of the investigation launched into the physical assault on Future Party Vice Chair Özdağ, two people were arrested for "wilful injury" on January 19.

On the same day when politician Selçuk Özdağ was attacked, Yeniçağ newspaper's Ankara representative Orhan Uğuroğlu was attacked in front of his house in the capital city, while KRT TV host and ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves' (Idealist Hearths) former Chair lawyer Afşin Hatipoğlu was attacked in front of his house in the evening on January 14.

On January 21, a detention warrant was issued against three suspects.

CLICK - 'Attacks on journalists are a symbol of impunity'

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CLICK - '5 journalists assaulted in the first 15 days of 2021'

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(EKN/SD)