Assaulted Turkish-Bulgarian Leader Was about to Resign

Movement for Rights and Freedoms leader Ahmed Dogan was going to announce his resignation in the speech interrupted by an unsuccessful assassination attempt Saturday.

The report is based on a copy of his speech, allegedly in the possession of Bulgarian daily Trud and Kanal 3 TV.

Dogan had just begun his speech, when a man with a hand gun in his hand walked up to him.

The attacker failed to shoot, and in the skirmish the MRF leader was safely rescued.

Ahead of the Movement's Saturday national congress, it was rumored that Dogan might file his resignation.

According to the report, his speech includes proposing current vice-chair Lyutvi Mestan for the next leader.

Ahmed Dogan has been chairing the Movement since its foundation as a party in 1990, and he was nominated to be re-elected as lader Saturday by 23 of the party's 28 regional units.