ISTANBUL (AP) — Assailants opened fire at a campaign event for upcoming municipal elections in Istanbul, critically wounding one person, Turkish semi-official Anadolu Agency reported.
The attack on Saturday took place as Aziz Yeniay, a candidate for mayor in Istanbul’s Kucukcemece district for the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, was visiting an association, Anadolu reported.
A 32-year-old woman was critically wounded and the attackers escaped in a vehicle.
Police said they were reviewing security camera footage and had found 17 spent shells at the site.
Turkey will hold municipal elections on March 31. The ruling AKP hopes to retake many crucial cities and districts it lost to the opposition Republican People’s Party five years ago, including the country’s largest city, Istanbul, and capital, Ankara.
“We know that terrorism feeds off fear and panic,” Yeniay told reporters. “We will not give credence to this, we will not be afraid.”