Turkish Leader Says Dogan Attack 'Shameful' for Bulgaria

Movement for Rights and Freedoms leader Lyutvi Mestan. Photo by BGNES

The attack against Ahmed Dogan, leader of the Bulgarian ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms, was shameful for the whole country according to Dogan’s successor, Lyutvi Mestan.

Ahmed Dogan, founder and leader of the ethnic Turkish DPS party ("Movement for Rights and Freedoms"), was the target of a gas pistol attack right on the floor of a party conference on Saturday by 25-year-old Oktay Enimehmedov, also a Bulgarian citizen from ethnic Turkish origin. No shots were fired.

“This is an extremely shameful spot for Bulgaria, but we will remove it – not by hiding the truth but by revealing the truth,” Mestan declared during a press conference on Tuesday.

Mestan called upon Movement for Rights and Freedoms members to be calm and responsible “despite the pain, the disappointment and the provocations.”

Dogan resigned his post as party chairman four hours after an attempt was made on his life.  His resignation had been rumored as incoming in the past couple of days. Lyutvi Mestan was elected as chair of Bulgaria's Movement for Rights and Freedoms party on Saturday.

Enimehmedov reiterated on Tuesday that he did not want to kill Dogan, but to scare him. Authorities have revealed that the gas pistol that was used in the attack was not capable of putting a life in jeopardy.

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