Kidnapping

Aygün was kidnapped by PKK militants on 12 August 2012 as he was returning from a visit in Ovacık, Tunceli accompanied with a newspaper reporter and his aide. The militants stopped his car on the highway and forced the passengers to get off. His companions were released, while he was abducted.^[3]

Aygün was freed unharmed on 14 August 2012.^[5] He said he was in good health and that he had been treated with respect. "The young fellows who undertook this kidnapping are children of this country too, and they said they wanted to send a message of peace and a call for a cease-fire with this action."^[6] Aygün's statements caused controversy within his CHP party. While hardliner Metin Feyzioğlu criticized him for "approaching a terror organization with sympathy", the party's spokesperson Haluk Koç stressed that Aygün had made a call for peace.^[7]

Controversy in his political party

Aygün made statements about his party's responsibility on the Dersim Massacre and later on the status of Alevism, causing controversy with his fellow deputies and the party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Due to those statements completely contradicting the policy of his party, some members of CHP requested to expel him from the party.^[3]

In 2014, Aygün participated in the foundation of the United June Movement, a progressive organization in the wake of the Gezi protests. He urged the movement to stay free of turning into a party.^[8]

Following Aygün's criticisms of fellow CHP lawmakers and mayors, he was cited to his party's Disciplinary Committee in January 2015.^[9] Subsequently, he did not seek reelection in the June 2015 general election,^[10] where the pro-Kurdish HDP finally won both Tunceli Province's parliamentary seats.