Three were killed and nine were injured after a delegation of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) came under attack in the southeastern Turkish province of Şanlıurfa on June 14.
According to Doğan News Agency, the delegation, led by AKP MP İbrahim Yıldız, was visiting shopkeepers in Şanlıurfa’s Cumhuriyet neighborhood ahead of the June 24 elections.
A group initially engaged in a heated argument with the AKP delegation, which quickly turned violent as they brandished guns and clubs before attacking the MP and his entourage.
Three people, including a brother of Yıldız, were killed and nine, including four other brothers of Yıldız, were injured in the attack, the reports said.
An investigation was launched as the police cordoned off the area.
According to Yıldız, the assailants told the delegation that they are supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and asked why AKP members went there although they know it.
“This is how the argument started. They attacked our delegation with rifles after I left there,” the AKP MP added, stressing that their delegation included some relatives of the attacking group, too.
Health Minister Ahmet Demircan confirmed the attack, noting that an air ambulance was sent to Şanlıurfa.
