The leader of Bulgaria's ethnic Turkish party escaped unharmed after a man jumped on stage at the party's national conference and pointed a gun at his head.

Ahmet Doğan was giving a speech on stage when the man rushed up to his podium and aimed the gun. Footage appears to show the attacker attempting to fire at Doğan before the politican pushed the gun away.

The unidentified attacker was then wrestled to the ground by delegates and repeatedly punched and kicked in the face.

Police later confirmed in a statement that the 25-year-old attacker was armed with a gas pistol and two knifes.

The gun appears to jam inches from the face of Ahmet Doğan, head of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms Party in Bulgaria, who was speaking at the party's conference.

Doğan pushed the gun away and the unidentified suspect was thrown to the ground by members of the party and repeatedly punched and kicked in the face.

Police have confirmed that the 25-year-old suspect, who was detained, was armed with a gas pistol and two knives. Doğan was reportedly suffering from shock but otherwise unharmed.

Dogan, 58, who has led the Turkish minority Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) party since its formation 23 years ago, was expected to announce that he was stepping down.

Bulgaria has a 10-percent minority of ethnic Turks, whose staunch support has ensured the participation of the liberal MRF party in two successive coalition governments between 2001 and 2009.

READ FULL SOURCE ARTICLE: 01/19/2013

Editor's Note: You mean he didn't use an "assault weapon"? Imagine that?!...