Five people have been detained following a knife attack on New Party lawmaker Melih Meriç in the southeastern city of Gaziantep, authorities said on Aug. 19.
The attack took place as Meriç was meeting with residents in the Şahinbey district, according to reports by news agencies.
Identified by the initials S.A.K., the attacker is a former head of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Gaziantep’s Oğuzeli district. Gaziantep Governor Kemal Çeber said the suspect had 27 previous criminal records.
Those detained include S.A.K., the drivers of two vehicles he boarded, a relative of his and a security guard who was at the scene, Çeber said.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said the chief prosecutor’s office in the city had launched an investigation into the attack.
“We are closely and meticulously following the process... to ensure that this unacceptable attack is fully investigated in all its aspects and that those responsible are held accountable before justice,” he said.
Meriç underwent surgery and is in good health, New Party leader Özgür Özel said in a social media post, condemning what he called the “vile attack.”
“We will never accept the shadow of violence, threats and bullying falling over politics, and we expect those responsible to be punished as soon as possible,” he wrote.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş also condemned the attack.
“We will follow the process to the end to ensure that the attack is fully investigated and those responsible are held accountable before the law,” he said.
CHP spokesman Müslim Sarı also conveyed his wishes for Meriç’s recovery.
On July 24, then CHP leader left the party along with 90 lawmakers, including Meriç, to establish the New Party. His departure came two months after an Ankara court annulled the CHP’s 2023 leadership election over alleged irregularities, removing Özel as chair and reinstating former leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
Born in 1968, Meriç served as chairman of the Gaziantep branch of the Chamber of Civil Engineers from 2012 to 2016. He was elected to parliament from Gaziantep as a CHP lawmaker in the May 2023 elections.
