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Opposition candidate in Turkey elections shot, wounded in Adana

Elif Dogan Turkmen, the candidate representing opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Turkey’s upcoming legislative elections

A Turkish opposition figure running for the June general elections in Turkey has been injured in a gun attack in the country’s southern province of Adana.

The province’s governor, Mustafa Buyuk, said Elif Dogan Turkmen, who is running for parliament representing the Republican People’s Party (CHP), came under the armed attack in the district of Cukurova on Tuesday.

Buyuk added that the opposition candidate, 53, was shot three times as she was heading for a gathering with businessmen in the district as part of her campaigning for the elections, which are due on June 7.

“She was shot in the knees, but her injuries are not life threatening,” Buyuk said, adding that Turkish authorities are probing “all possible motives” behind the attack.

The governor said one of the suspected assailants has been identified.

CCTV images released by Turkish media showed a man pointing his gun at Dogan Turkemen.

On May 8, two concurrent explosions hit the offices of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkey’s southern cities of Adana and Mersin, injuring at least six people.

Also in April, the HDP headquarters in the capital, Ankara, came under attack by unidentified attackers. No casualties were reported though.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Turkey seeks to change the country’s constitution by getting more lawmakers into the legislative chamber. Such an amendment would give incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan an upper hand in almost all administrative and security issues.

Opposition parties believe that that the measure by the AKP would turn Turkey into a dictatorship, with the HDP vowing to block the move if it wins more than the 10 percent of the votes needed for a direct representation in the parliament.

IA/KA/HJL


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