An armed attack took place on Wednesday against the Ataşehir branch office in Istanbul of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). Three blank shots were fired during the attack, the party’s Istanbul chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu announced on Twitter.
The attackers also cut down CHP flags and posters of the party’s leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and graffitied the initials RTE (for the president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan) and AKP (for the Justice and Development Party) on the windows of the building.
The Istanbul Governor’s Office announced that efforts are continuing to apprehend eight suspects related to the incident. The office also confirmed that three blanks were found at the scene.
“We are not afraid, but I think you should be afraid. You have a lot to fear!” wrote Kaftancıoğlu, sharing the photos of the posters of Kılıçdaroğlu, who is also presidential candidate of the main opposition bloc, defaced with the initials AKP and RTE.
“No one should worry, no one should be pessimistic. On 15 May, we will bring spring to this country, we will bring peace. There will be no such incidents. Those who conducted these incidents will be caught and prosecuted,” said Kılıçdaroğlu later.
This is not the first time unidentified gunmen have attacked opposition party campaign offices since the Turkey’s election process began. Previously another CHP office, a branch office of the centre-right Good Party (İYİP) and an office of the Green Left Party, through which the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) will run in the crucial national elections, have been targets of similar attacks.
