Erdogan's rival attacked - leaked footage shows the moment he is slapped

A person hit Özgür Özel, the leader of Turkey's largest opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), as he was leaving an event in Istanbul.

The attack caught on camera showed Özel holding his head in pain, while the suspect was quickly apprehended.

Authorities identified the attacker as ST after his initials, while media reports said he was an unemployed man with a criminal record.

It is learned that Özel was attending a memorial ceremony at Istanbul's Ataturk Cultural Center for Sırrı Süreyya Önder, the deputy speaker of parliament who passed away on Saturday, they write. foreign media, the Telegraph reports.

According to the head of the Presidential Communications Directorate, Fahrettin Altun, other politicians condemned the attack on Özel, while President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan personally called the opposition leader and denounced the "ugly attack."

Ömer Çelik, spokesman for Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AK Party), said in a statement that they condemn the attack and any attack on "political institutions cannot be accepted."

"The attacker will answer for what he did before the justice system," Çelik said.

Özel is a fierce critic of Erdogan. Recently re-elected as CHP chairman, he has accused the government of using force against the opposition, calling it a “junta administration.” /Telegraph/