The man who physically attacked Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel at the funeral of late MP Sırrı Süreyya Önder has been identified as Selçuk Tengioğlu, a 65-year-old with a long criminal record—including the murder of his own children.
The incident occurred on Saturday outside the Atatürk Cultural Centre (AKM) in İstanbul, shortly after Özel delivered a tribute to Önder, a sitting MP from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party and a prominent figure in past and ongoing Kurdish peace negotiations. Tengioğlu approached Özel while shouting, “We are Ottoman descendants”, before punching him in the face. He was quickly subdued by security forces and removed from the scene.
New details have since emerged about Tengioğlu’s past. According to public records, in 2004, he shot and killed his 17-year-old daughter Mutlu and 19-year-old son Barış in the southern province of Hatay. He also seriously injured his 11-year-old daughter Gülşah. A fourth child, 16-year-old Yasemin, survived by jumping from a second-floor balcony.
At the time, Tengioğlu told police he had suffered a breakdown after his wife left the family home. He was convicted and imprisoned but was later released under a general amnesty introduced by the ruling People’s Alliance—a coalition led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
Tengioğlu has reportedly been detained multiple times since his release on charges including domestic violence, sexual harassment, drug use and sale, and resisting police. He had also undergone psychiatric treatment, according to local media reports.
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that a criminal investigation is underway and that Tengioğlu remains in custody.
Reactions to the assault continued to grow over the weekend. CHP MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu denounced the attacker as a “shameless provocateur”, while the DEM Party released a statement condemning the assault as an attack not just on Özel, but also on the legacy of Sırrı Süreyya Önder and the democratic principles he stood for.
Önder, who passed away on Saturday after suffering a heart attack in April, was a widely respected figure in both Kurdish and Turkish political spheres. His funeral was attended by numerous political and cultural figures.
Özel, who was not seriously injured, had called on attendees to continue Önder’s legacy of peace. “From now on, we must honour his memory not only with words, but by continuing his genuine advocacy for peace in Turkey,” he said before the incident.
