New Ethnic Turkish Leader Blasts Bulgarian Govt for 'Shifting Focus' in Attack on Dogan

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms party, DPS, does not accept the shift of focus regarding the attack on the life of Ahmed Dogan, Bulgarian ethnic Turkish leader and DPS honorary Chairman.

The statement was made by the new leader of DPS, Lyutvi Mestan, at the official emergency press conference of the party, which began in the capital Sofia Sunday afternoon.

"We are witnessing an outrageous attempt to replace the truth about what happened one day ago. Yesterday, in Hall 3 of the National Palace of Culture, at 12:22 pm, before the eyes of the entire country and international observers, a ritual of political murder was showcased, the murder of DPS leader, Ahmed Dogan, an oppositional political leader of European level," Mestan stated.

He noted that just 10 hours after the incident the issue has been shifted scandalously, saying that 30 minutes after the attack, the Sofia City Prosecutor, Nikolay Kokinov, had stated that the perpetrator would be charged with a murder attempt.

"Dogan was still undergoing a medical examination and Kokinov made the statement before 15 witnesses. He also announced that he has spoken to the attacker and the latter has told him that he wanted to shoot and kill Dogan. We are asking the authorities today – what changed in 10 hours so that we are now being inundated with totally opposite information about how the man only wanted his moment of glory." Mestan declared.

The new leader of the party further pledged the DPS leadership will ask for an international probe in the attack.

On Saturday, police in Bulgaria detained a man after he pointed a gun at Dogan  as he was delivering a speech in the capital Sofia. No shots were fired. The man was identified as Oktay Enimehmedov, a 25-year-old ethnic Turkish resident of the city of Burgas, with a previous criminal record for assault and theft.

Expect further details.

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