Necip F. Bahadir
Could the punch thrown at CHP Leader Ozgür Ozel be a coincidence, a simple and ordinary event? Could it have happened solely by the initiative and will of a madman or lunatic? It’s clear the attacker isn’t normal. He’s already a criminal—someone insane enough to attempt killing his own children.
So why is he out on the streets? What is such a criminal, a murderer, a walking danger, doing in society? The answer is simple: he is a product of AKP policy.
Judicial reforms passed through the partnership of the AKP and MHP benefited criminal offenders. The prison doors were opened for drug lords, murderers, and criminals. Meanwhile, political prisoners remained behind bars. They were not eligible for sentence reductions.
Their crimes were too great—according to the AKP! They opposed the government. Imagine, elderly people who spent their lives doing charity work, aged 75-80, are still in prison, while a murderer who killed his own children walks free.
Justice Minister Tunç said, “He benefited from a regulation made before us.”
What does that even mean? Didn’t the AKP pass the sentence reduction law?
The Ministry of Interior just released a statement yesterday: “S.T., who was sentenced to life imprisonment, was conditionally released in 2020.”
Didn’t Devlet Bahçeli say, “Members of the Gulen Movement won’t be released, but those imprisoned for drugs will benefit”? And didn’t Erdoğan respond to objections by saying, “Whatever Mr. Bahçeli says, that’s it”? Are these a secret?
The fact that a murderer, a criminal, a danger to society can move freely among people is the result of AKP policy. The real perpetrator behind the punch thrown at Özel is the AKP.
Why wasn’t Özgür Özel’s vehicle allowed into the underground garage?
Why wasn’t Özgür Özel’s official car allowed into the closed parking area of AKM (Atatürk Cultural Center)? What does “vehicle congestion” even mean? Is Özel less important than AKP’s Efkan Ala? Doesn’t the main opposition party have a more prominent place in protocol? Is the state so incapable of protecting the leader of a historical party like the CHP? Or is all this a reflection of Erdoğan’s “elimination policy”?
Remember the saying—how many more CHP members were meant to be “eliminated”? When the word “elimination” is voiced from the very top, it turns into punches at the lower levels.
Didn’t the AKP-MHP bloc’s protective attitude in response to the lynching and assault on Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu encourage the attacker? The AKP openly supported the man who threw the punch. They visited his home. Bahçeli blamed Kılıçdaroğlu.
What did the judiciary do? A light sentence… Case closed. If they had pursued the case thoroughly, questioned him seriously—would the man who attacked Özel have dared go that far? Nothing but AKP policies emboldened him.
One day before the attack on Özgür Özel, Alparslan Türkeş’s daughter Ayyüce Türkeş was attacked by a group while praying at her father’s grave. Her driver and bodyguard were beaten so badly that they were taken to the hospital. Ayyüce Türkeş was left alone with the attackers. Only after police arrived could she leave the cemetery safely.
Who were the attackers? Not a single arrest. What privilege do these attackers have? Why hasn’t the MHP, the party everyone is looking at, made a statement? Where is the state? Where is the security?
Unfortunately, the political climate is tense… How could this high tension and pressure in Ankara not reflect onto society? AKP trolls and fanatics are not hesitating to threaten the opposition with weapons in hand.
TRT employee calls for an ‘execution’!
A TRT employee openly called for a Russian-style execution of Özgür Özel. So what happened—was any action taken? Did the authorities knock on their door at dawn as they do with opposition figures? Sadly, no… The political climate is practically inviting violence.
It’s up to governments to lower the tension. But the AKP and Erdoğan administration feed off of “extraordinary conditions” and have no intention of normalizing. They see no issue in demonizing, accusing, and labeling their critics and opponents as traitors or terrorists.
Doesn’t such an environment feed violence? Doesn’t it encourage attackers? When Ankara points the finger, some lunatic carries it out. Often without even understanding why.
Did you see the tone of Devlet Bahçeli’s message offering “get well” wishes to Özel? Look at this sentence:
‘I extend my get well wishes to the administrator of a political institution who attended the farewell and tribute ceremony for Sırrı Süreyya Önder at the AKM and was subsequently subjected to a physical attack.’
What is that supposed to mean? Where did “administrator of a political institution” come from? Is it so hard to say “CHP”? Isn’t CHP a political party? I’ve never seen this kind of language before.
I’m wondering, what’s the excuse or justification for referring to Özel as just a “political institution administrator”? Özel is the leader of the historic CHP—not some bureaucrat. Is this level of condescension and arrogance appropriate for someone like Bahçeli, who is in the twilight of his life? What arrogance is this? The CHP’s public support outnumbers MHP several times over. So does its number of MPs and mayors. Did Bahçeli not consider the public reaction to this tone?
It’s hard to understand… This tone didn’t suit such a tragic event. It wasn’t expected from Bahçeli.
The attacker said in his statement, “My right hand spontaneously rose and I hit Özgür Özel!”
That’s like saying, “I didn’t hit him, my hand did!” What kind of nonsense is that? Thankfully he didn’t say, “Özgür Özel ran into my hand!” Maybe he did, and it wasn’t recorded. Who knows… What does “my right hand rose” mean? Did it move on its own?
How did a man with a criminal record get into that area?
Why was such a person in the ceremony area? Extraordinary security is implemented even for ordinary meetings and rallies. Yet, for an event with top-level protocol, were there no precautions? How did he get that close to Özel? Anyone looking at his face carefully could tell he was a potential threat. His identity alone should have raised red flags.
IYI Party leader Müsavat Dervişoğlu referred to the attacker as a “usable tool.” He’s right… His history and criminal record support the suspicion. In this country, such tools are always chosen from the mad and the mentally unstable. Who is this man a tool for?
Initial information suggests a thorough investigation isn’t being conducted. The judiciary was even reluctant to extend the detention period. Only after objections did they grant an extension. Doesn’t the state want to uncover what network used this tool? Are those who say, “This smells deeply rotten” right?
Could the punch be a message to Özel?
A warning to “watch your step…” A message saying, “You’re going too far…” Özel shook off his political slumber after Ekrem İmamoğlu’s conviction. He hit the streets. The crowds he gathered in conservative cities like Yozgat and Konya frightened the AKP. He signaled new moves that could force Erdoğan into early elections. He’s pushing for elections by 2026. The “30 MP resignation” move is next.
Özel has become too much for the AKP-MHP regime!
Someone who got close enough to punch Özel could’ve done worse. I sense this punch was a “watch your step” message from deep powers. Today a punch—tomorrow something worse… It’s painful even to say. The CHP and Özel must not take this lightly. It should not be brushed aside with a few bold-sounding statements. They must pursue those behind the tool… How they’ll do that—I don’t know…
It’s true that the state has fully become an AKP apparatus. Still, they must find a way…
That punch was not only thrown at Özgür Özel—it was a punch at democracy. And democracy, already wounded, is now under even greater threat…
