24.08.2026 21:01
İYİ Party Deputy Chairman Cenk Özatıcı made a statement regarding the health condition of İYİ Party Bursa Deputy Selçuk Türkoğlu, who was taken to the hospital after collapsing during police intervention in Kurtuluş Park. Özatıcı said, 'Our deputy has four stents in his heart, he already has a heart condition. Due to the violence and intervention there, he suffered a heart spasm or a health issue and was taken to the hospital's emergency room. His health condition is still not very good.'
Tension erupted during a police intervention targeting relatives of fallen soldiers and disabled veterans who were staging a protest in Ankara for their personal rights. During the intervention, Selçuk Türkoğlu, an İYİ Party deputy from Bursa who was supporting the protesters, first fell to the ground, then fell ill and was taken by ambulance to Hacettepe University Hospital.
STATEMENT FROM İYİ PARTY ON HIS HEALTH CONDITION: HE HAS MORE THAN ONE WOUND ON HIS HEAD İYİ Party Deputy Chairman Cenk Özatıcı, speaking in front of the hospital, gave information about Türkoğlu's health condition.
Özatıcı said: "As you know, for the last 45 days, our veterans have been engaged in a struggle for their rights. This first started at Güvenpark. They were driven away from there. Then they were forcibly taken to the Gazi Uyum Evi. Later, they were placed under blockade. They went to Kurtuluş Park. Today, while leaving Kurtuluş Park and marching, our veterans were again placed under blockade. While our Bursa deputy Selçuk Türkoğlu, our Deputy Chairman Kevsar Ofluoğlu, and I were there today with our veterans to support them, this is exactly how the events unfolded: Although our deputy Selçuk Türkoğlu's advisor showed his official ID and documents stating he was his official advisor, and although our esteemed deputy also confirmed that he was his advisor, they initially intervened to detain him. Our deputy Selçuk prevented this.
But then, knowingly and intentionally, despite knowing that the person there was a deputy and that the person next to him was his official advisor, despite the presentation of ID, with a sudden attack and disproportionate violence, while they were trying to detain the advisor, our deputy Selçuk intervened to save his advisor. At that point, our deputy Selçuk was beaten and knocked to the ground, and there are images of this. He was knocked down and hit on the head while on the ground. He has a wound on his head, in fact more than one wound. There are images, there are photographs. And he was beaten on the ground. We came from behind and tried to intervene to save our deputy Selçuk. Because there, in the images, I myself am saying, 'He is a deputy.' I mean, the person you knocked to the ground, dragged on the ground, and beat is a deputy. I am pointing and saying 'Our deputy,' trying to intervene.
"PROBLEMS PERSIST REGARDING HIS BLOOD PRESSURE DROPPING" I myself was pushed back by three police officers. Our deputy was being kicked on the ground, being intervened upon, being subjected to violence. And then, unfortunately, Selçuk Türkoğlu, because our deputy already has four stents in his heart and has a heart condition, suffered a cardiac spasm or a health issue due to the violence and intervention there and was taken to the hospital's emergency room. He is currently in the hospital, in the emergency room. Problems persist regarding his blood pressure dropping. His health condition is still not very good. But I had a chance to briefly speak with our esteemed deputy. Listen, let me say this clearly and unequivocally: Right now, as we are fighting to defend the rights of veterans, while being dragged on the ground and subjected to police intervention, condolence tents are being set up for terrorists while we speak. Demonstrations with Öcalan posters are being held while we speak. Fireworks are being set off. Celebrations, commemorations of the anniversary of the day the PKK attacked Turkish soldiers are being held.
"WE WILL CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH ALL OUR MIGHT" The government that tolerates this, the Interior Ministry that tolerates this, the police that tolerates this, do not tolerate the veterans' quest for rights and drag the representative of the Turkish nation on the ground. That is what is happening. The representative of the Turkish nation, while defending the rights of veterans, despite being known to be a deputy, is dragged on the ground, subjected to violence, and beaten. Of course, we are at the hospital right now, but let me say this clearly: Even if you drag us on the ground, beat us, or detain us, we will not give up this struggle for rights. We are on one side, once and for all. We are on one side. We are on the side of the veterans' effort in their struggle. We are on the side of the memory of our martyrs. And we are against. We are also against this process of treachery. We are also against the declaration of the terrorist leader as the 'founding leader.' While veterans are treated this way in this order, while the representatives of the Turkish nation are treated this way, we are utterly against Turkey being dragged into such treachery. If necessary, against all forces, against all powers, even if we are alone, even if we are by ourselves, but we will continue to struggle to the end with all our might, under the leadership of our esteemed Chairman Dervişoğlu, with our deputies, and our deputy chairmen. Our determination is absolute."