A brawl erupted in Turkey’s parliament on Friday during a heated debate concerning an opposition delegate currently imprisoned on charges perceived as politically motivated.
The incident unfolded as Ahmet Sik, a member of the same party as the jailed deputy, addressed the assembly from the podium, labeling the ruling party as a “terrorist organisation.” This provocation led to an attack by a lawmaker from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party, igniting a chaotic melee that involved multiple deputies. During the scuffle, a female lawmaker was injured, leaving blood on the steps leading to the speaker’s lectern, and another opposition member also sustained injuries.
Video footage showed MPs for the ruling AKP party rushing in to punch Sik at the lectern and dozens more joining the melee, some trying to hold others back.
As per a report by AP, Ozgur Ozel, the leader of the largest opposition party, condemned the violence, stating, “It is a shameful situation. Instead of words flying in the air, fists are flying, there is blood on the ground. They are hitting women.”
The extraordinary session of the Turkish Grand National Assembly was convened to discuss the case of Can Atalay, who was sentenced to 18 years in 2022 after being accused of attempting to overthrow the government by allegedly organising the 2013 Gezi Park protests alongside philanthropist Osman Kavala and six others, all of whom deny the charges. Despite his imprisonment, Atalay was elected to parliament in May last year to represent the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TIP). Although parliament stripped him of his seat, the Constitutional Court declared his exclusion null and void on August 1.
“We’re not surprised that you call Can Atalay a terrorist, just as you do everyone who does not side with you,” Sik said in a speech directed at AKP lawmakers. “But the biggest terrorists are the ones sitting in these seats,” he added as quoted by Reuters.
The deputy parliament speaker declared a recess after the fistfight. Following a break of over three hours, the session reconvened, this time under the chairmanship of the parliament speaker instead of his deputy.
During the session, Parliament issued a reprimand to TIP’s Sik for his remarks against the AKP. Additionally, AKP’s Alpay Ozalan was reprimanded for his physical assault on Sik.
The TIP also called for Atalay’s release from prison.
The convictions of Atalay and others involved in the Gezi Park case have drawn significant criticism from human rights organizations. The main defendant, philanthropist Osman Kavala, received a life sentence without parole, with the European Court of Human Rights calling for his release, citing arbitrary detention based on political motives. The Gezi Park protests, which began as an environmental initiative, evolved into widespread demonstrations against Erdogan’s increasingly authoritarian rule.
Amnesty International’s Turkey office reiterated the call for Atalay’s rights to be restored, emphasizing the violations of his personal freedom and electoral rights. The timing for the reconvening of the parliamentary session remains uncertain.