Armed assault against Felicity Party election bureau in fresh attack ahead of local elections

ISTANBUL

An armed attack was organized by unidentified people against a Felicity Party (SP) election bureau in the western province of Kocaeli’s Körfez district late Feb. 11, in yet another attack targeting party campaign offices in the last weeks.

According to witness accounts, four gunshots were fired at the office from a car, though initial police examinations found two bullet shells on a wall and four outside the office. An investigation has been launched into the incident.

Also on Feb. 11, a group of unidentified people threw stones at the campaign office of Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) in the eastern city of Elazığ, breaking windows. 

An adviser for the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) was killed during an armed assault on a campaign office in Istanbul’s Esenyurt district, triggering security concerns for the upcoming elections. 

Another gun assault carried out Jan. 27 targeted the municipal building in Şişli, in an apparent attempt to target Şişli mayor Mustafa Sarıgül. Sarıgül is the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) mayoral candidate for Istanbul in the March 30 local elections.

The MHP’s election bureau in Istanbul’s Okmeydanı neighborhood was also the target of an attack last week.