The man is said to have approached Özel and slapped him in the face with an open hand, according to televised images. The suspect has been arrested, says the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the suspect is a 66-year-old man who was previously convicted of murdering his two children in 2004. He was conditionally released in 2020.
Özel, who leads the Republican People's Party (CHP), escaped without injury. He had participated in a memorial service for Sirri Süreyya Önder, a pro-Kurdish politician who died on Saturday.
The incident rekindles concerns about the safety of politicians in Turkey. The former CHP leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, was assaulted when he attended a soldier's funeral in Ankara Province in 2019.
