Azernews.Az

ANKARA – Turkish singer İbrahim Tatlıses, who was shot in the head late Sunday night, is now out of critical condition and has begun to speak, Doğan news agency, or DHA, reported on Wednesday. The singer remains at a 10 percent risk of death from his injuries.

"His situation is better. His risk of death, which was 80 percent at the time he arrived, has diminished to 10 percent now. He can breathe on his own and can talk with us. He moves his right hand and right leg. When we ask him how he feels, he says, ‘I am fine,’" said İlhan Elmacı, the singer’s doctor from Acıbadem Maslak Hospital.

Nevertheless, the left half of the singer’s body still has some problems and the doctors will start to determine the extent of the problems when he is taken out of the intensive care unit. Tatlıses will undergo intensive physiotherapy afterward, Anatolia news agency reported.

The singer was shot and severely injured during an attack after midnight Sunday. He was removed from the respirator and has started to breathe on his own. The doctor said they are working to combat things that might create problems such as circulation and blood pressure.

Tatlıses’ fans have surrounded the hospital and impatiently wait for the singer to say a couple of words for them. However, the doctors have said that it is too early for that. "Even though we are aware of such wishes, we cannot circumvent the rules," said Çağlar Çuhadaroğlu, the chief physician of Acıbadem Maslak Hospital.

More than 10 doctors participated in the surgeries and during his period in the intensive care unit, the number of doctors was doubled and he was watched around the clock, said Çuhadaroğlu.

The condition of Tatlıses’ assistant Buket Çakıcı, also injured during the attack, has improved enough to allow her to be discharged from the hospital, said the doctors. "In fact, she can be discharged from the hospital, but we keep her for social reasons. After all, she has experienced a heavy injury. She will have to recuperate. She has some small scars, but she will not die from them," said Ömer Faruk Ünal, the head of the Department of Otolaryngology.

During his stay at the hospital, the singer has been visited by politicians and artists such as former President Süleyman Demirel and Mahsun Kırmızıgül, who both condemned the attack.

The assailants are still being sought. Istanbul Gov. Hüseyin Avni Mutlu said police teams are evaluating all the details and working carefully to determine the suspects. "Let’s wait for our police officers’ work and be a little patient. I hope they will solve this without any delay," said Mutlu.

A region heavily influenced by the attack on the singer was northern Iraq, where the public, in grief, played the singer’s CDs in every street.

The attack happened when Tatlıses was leaving the Beyaz TV Studio building in Nurol Plaza, where he was filming a program. Unknown assailants in a black car opened fire with long-barreled weapons before fleeing the scene.