Unrest during Run-Up to Parliamentary Elections

Two people distributing leaflets of independent candidate Emrullah Bingül were attacked with knives in the city of Izmit east of Istanbul on Monday (30 May). Bingül is running for the parliamentary elections this June as a member of the Labour, Democracy and Freedom Block.

Both individuals were taken to hospital with minor injuries. Ten people from the group of assailants were taken into police custody.

"We attacked them because of the slogans they chanted"

In a statement made by the Demokrat Kocaeli newspaper to bianet, it was said that supporters of independent candidate Bingül from the Labour, Democracy and Freedom Block and members of the Labour Party (EMEP) and the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) opened an information booth in front of the Municipality Office Block. They distributed leaflets to by-passers.

Two people reportedly went to the nearby mosque to distribute their leaflets. There, they were attacked by eight to ten people who were supposed "ülkücü" ('idealists') in reference to the "Grey Wolves", an ultra-nationalist and neo fascist youth organization of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). They were first beaten and then attacked with knives, as announced by the Demokrat Kocaeli newspaper.

When the police came to the scene, the assailants said to their defence, "We attacked them because of the slogans they chanted".

Two people attacked with knives in Istanbul

The previous day (29 May), the convoy of Levent Tüzel, Labour, Democracy and Freedom Block candidate for Istanbul, was attacked by ülkücü members as well. The attackers demolished the vehicles and attacked two people with knives.

The large group of assailants stopped the convoy in the district of Küçükçekmece to throw stones at the vehicles and demolish them with clubs.

Also the passengers of the cars belonging to the convoy were beaten. Many people were wounded; two persons were injured with knives. They were taken to hospital. The police arrested about ten people after the attack. (EKN/VK)