Turkey’s Ozal Wounded by Gunman : Prime Minister Is Hit in Hand; Assailant, 20 Others Hurt

An escaped convict shot and slightly wounded Prime Minister Turgut Ozal on Saturday, moments after the Turkish leader urged his country to reject violence in his opening speech at the ruling Motherland Party’s annual convention.

Ozal, 61, who instinctively dived for cover as the gunfire erupted, was shot in the right hand.

At least 21 others, including the assailant, were wounded in the ensuing gun battle between the convict and police that, in turn, sparked a stampede among the 5,000 people in attendance.

Authorities later identified the gunman as Kartal Demirag, 32, who escaped six months ago from a low-security prison in western Turkey, where he had just begun serving a 10-year sentence for attempted murder. Police said he is known for extreme right-wing activities.

British-Made Gun Used

Ankara Gov. Saffet Arikan Beduk told reporters that one British-made 7.65-millimeter machine pistol was used in the attack and only two of the eight rounds were fired before it jammed.

One witness, quoted by the government-controlled Anatolian News Agency, said he saw a woman hand a gun to the attacker, who shot at Ozal from a distance of about 30 feet.

The news agency also reported that police later found a second gun wrapped in newspaper in the diplomatic section of the Ataturk Sports Hall in Ankara, the capital. There was no confirmation by police, however.

Authorities detained more than 50 people following the incident, which occurred about noon as Ozal was addressing the packed convention.

“We have a more civilized atmosphere now,” he said, stressing the importance of political stability. “People of different views can now talk to each other instead of fighting or drawing their guns.”

Ducked Behind Podium

At that moment, a shot rang out and a bullet struck the microphone. A second bullet hit Ozal’s hand as he ducked behind the podium. He was quickly surrounded by bodyguards with guns drawn.

Demirag kept firing at the stage, according to police.

A television crew filming the speech kept the cameras rolling during the attack. In that film tape, more than 40 shots can be heard in the 10 seconds following the initial shot as police opened fire, hitting Demirag in the arm and eventually seizing him as he lunged into a crowd of nearby photographers.

Authorities said 16 of the injured were hit by bullets. At least five others were bruised in the pandemonium that followed as people tried to get out of the line of fire.

When the shooting was over, calm was restored and people quickly returned to their seats. Interior Minister Mustafa Kalemi hastily wrapped a white handkerchief around Ozal’s wound.

Bloodstained Bandage

Ozal, holding up his bloodstained bandage, rose from behind the lectern and declared, “No one can take away the life given by God except God himself.”

The crowd jumped to its feet and applauded, after which Ozal finished his speech.

Ozal was taken to the hospital, where he received three stitches. Doctors said a bullet entered the prime minister’s hand through the right thumb and exited from the palm.

Ozal later returned to the convention where delegates reelected him party chairman. There were no other candidates.

The assassination attempt occurred three days after Ozal returned from a historic visit to Greece, Turkey’s longtime enemy. It was the first visit by a Turkish leader there in 36 years.

Claims of Responsibility

Authorities had not established a motive for Saturday’s attack, although Turkish news agencies said that the outlawed Kurdish Workers’ Party and another group calling itself The Revolutionary Officers Organization each claimed responsibility.

The Kurdish Workers’ Party is fighting for an independent Marxist state in parts of eastern and southeastern Turkey. About 700 civilians and military personnel have been killed since the group began attacking military targets in August, 1984.

About one-fifth of Turkey’s 52 million people are ethnic Kurds.

Ozal was first elected when a military government ceded power in 1983.

The Motherland Party was founded six months before elections in November, 1983, that restored civilian rule in Turkey.

In general elections seven months ago, Ozal’s party received 290 of the seats in the 450-seat legislature. But in recent months, Ozal’s popularity waned because of inflation, which is running at 75%.

In his speech Saturday, Ozal defended austerity measures put in place to battle inflation. He also pledged to cut inflation in half within a year.

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