Turkish pollster Kemal Özkiraz attacked in playground
The Eurasia Public Opinion Research Center (AKAM) chair Kemal Özkiraz has announced that he was attacked by an assailant in the southern Antalya province. Özkiraz is known for his dissident remarks against the ruling AKP and President Erdoğan.
Duvar English
An unknown assailant on late Sept. 27 attacked and punched the Eurasia Public Opinion Research Center (AKAM) chair Kemal Özkiraz in the southern province of Antalya.
"At 8.05 p.m. (local time), while I was feeding my child in the playground of our neighborhood, I was attacked by a person wearing a hat and mask, approaching from behind. He punched me in the ear, shouted ‘who the hell are you’ and ran away quickly,” Özkiraz said in a tweet, describing the incident.
Özkiraz said he and his child are in good health and that he filed a criminal complaint.
“They turned the country into a huge mafia state. Whoever attacked from behind in front of dozens of small children and my own child could have slit my throat. For those wondering, I'm fine, the kids are fine too,” he added.
“I'm not someone to fear with a punch. Next time, come with a rifle. Enjoy now, you have nine months left. We will either save people from the power of the mafia or die to do it,” he said in another tweets, referring to the upcoming elections.
Besides consequtively sharing opinion poll results about Turkish politics that AKAM obtained, Özkiraz is also known for his dissident remarks against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.