Chaos in Turkish Parliament Brawl Over Jailed Opposition MP
HeadlineCast
2024-08-17
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Tensions escalated in Turkey's parliament on Friday when a heated dispute led to a fistfight on the floor. The altercation began when opposition deputy Ahmet Sik was attacked after advocating for his colleague, Can Atalay, who was imprisoned on charges of organizing anti-government protests but later elected as a Member of Parliament (MP).
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Footage from the scene showed members of the ruling AKP party rushing toward Sik, throwing punches as he stood at the lectern. The situation quickly spiraled into chaos, with more MPs joining the brawl, while others attempted to intervene. Blood was visibly splattered on the white steps of the speaker's podium.
Atalay, sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2022, was accused of attempting to overthrow the government by allegedly organizing the 2013 Gezi Park protests. He was convicted alongside philanthropist Osman Kavala and six others, all of whom deny the charges.
Despite his incarceration, Atalay was elected to parliament in May of last year, representing the Workers' Party of Turkey (TIP). Although parliament initially stripped him of his seat, the Constitutional Court ruled on August 1st that his exclusion was invalid.
During his speech, Sik addressed AKP lawmakers, stating, "We're not surprised that you call Can Atalay a terrorist, just as you do everyone who does not side with you. But the biggest terrorists are the ones sitting in these seats."
The deputy parliament speaker called for a recess following the brawl, and after a three-hour break, the session resumed under the leadership of the parliament speaker.
In the aftermath, the Parliament reprimanded Sik for his remarks against the AKP, while AKP's Alpay Ozalan also faced reprimand for his physical assault on Sik.
The incident was condemned by the main opposition CHP leader, Ozgur Ozel, who called it "shameful." He told reporters, "Lawmakers punched other lawmakers, even women. This is unacceptable."
Gulistan Kocyigit, chairwoman of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party group and another victim of the violence, accused the ruling party of trying to silence the opposition. "It was clear they came prepared and planned... They are trying to silence our speech and our voice with pressure, violence, and force," she said.
Although brawls in the Turkish parliament are rare, they are not unheard of. Just last June, AKP lawmakers clashed with pro-Kurdish DEM Party MPs over the detention and replacement
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Footage from the scene showed members of the ruling AKP party rushing toward Sik, throwing punches as he stood at the lectern. The situation quickly spiraled into chaos, with more MPs joining the brawl, while others attempted to intervene. Blood was visibly splattered on the white steps of the speaker's podium.
Atalay, sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2022, was accused of attempting to overthrow the government by allegedly organizing the 2013 Gezi Park protests. He was convicted alongside philanthropist Osman Kavala and six others, all of whom deny the charges.
Despite his incarceration, Atalay was elected to parliament in May of last year, representing the Workers' Party of Turkey (TIP). Although parliament initially stripped him of his seat, the Constitutional Court ruled on August 1st that his exclusion was invalid.
During his speech, Sik addressed AKP lawmakers, stating, "We're not surprised that you call Can Atalay a terrorist, just as you do everyone who does not side with you. But the biggest terrorists are the ones sitting in these seats."
The deputy parliament speaker called for a recess following the brawl, and after a three-hour break, the session resumed under the leadership of the parliament speaker.
In the aftermath, the Parliament reprimanded Sik for his remarks against the AKP, while AKP's Alpay Ozalan also faced reprimand for his physical assault on Sik.
The incident was condemned by the main opposition CHP leader, Ozgur Ozel, who called it "shameful." He told reporters, "Lawmakers punched other lawmakers, even women. This is unacceptable."
Gulistan Kocyigit, chairwoman of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party group and another victim of the violence, accused the ruling party of trying to silence the opposition. "It was clear they came prepared and planned... They are trying to silence our speech and our voice with pressure, violence, and force," she said.
Although brawls in the Turkish parliament are rare, they are not unheard of. Just last June, AKP lawmakers clashed with pro-Kurdish DEM Party MPs over the detention and replacement
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