Overview

• Özgür Özel, leader of Turkey's main opposition party CHP, was physically assaulted during a funeral at Taksim Square on May 4, 2025.
• The attacker, a 66-year-old man recently paroled after serving a life sentence for killing his children, was immediately detained by authorities.
• The assailant claimed the attack was unplanned and motivated by anger over a denied food card application, which he blamed on the CHP.
• The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from across Turkey's political spectrum, highlighting concerns over the safety of opposition figures.
• This attack occurs within a broader context of political repression under President Erdoğan, including recent arrests of key opposition leaders.