A brawl erupted in Turkey’s parliament on Friday amid a heated debate over the fate of jailed opposition figure Can Atalay, who was controversially stripped of his parliamentary immunity earlier this year.
The incident occurred following a recent ruling by Turkey’s constitutional court, which invalidated parliament’s decision to remove Atalay from his seat.
Atalay, a lawyer and human rights advocate, was elected last year while campaigning from prison.
During the session, Ahmet Sik, a member of the leftist Workers’ Party of Turkey (TIP), defended Atalay against attacks from ruling party lawmakers.
“It’s no surprise that you call Atalay a terrorist,” Sik stated, adding, “All citizens should know that the biggest terrorists of this country are those seated on those benches,” referring to the ruling majority.
This remark provoked angry reactions from ruling party members.
The situation escalated when former footballer Alpay Ozalan, a lawmaker from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AKP party, approached Sik and shoved him to the ground.
The altercation intensified as Sik was punched repeatedly by ruling party lawmakers.
At least two opposition MPs sustained injuries during the scuffle, and footage of the brawl showed staff cleaning blood stains from the parliament floor.
Ozgur Ozel, head of the main opposition CHP party, condemned the violence, stating, “I am ashamed to have witnessed this situation.”
The conflict over Atalay’s parliamentary seat began earlier this year when he was removed following a January parliamentary session, despite efforts by fellow leftist deputies to block the move.
Atalay, one of seven defendants convicted in 2022 to 18 years in prison, had campaigned from prison for a parliamentary seat in the May 2023 general election and was elected from the earthquake-affected Hatay province.
The controversy led to a legal standoff between Erdogan’s supporters and opposition leaders, pushing Turkey to the brink of a constitutional crisis.
In January, parliament’s decision to oust Atalay followed a Supreme Court ruling upholding his conviction.
However, on August 1, the constitutional court ruled that Atalay’s removal was “null and void.”
Turkey’s parliament has a history of lifting immunity from opposition politicians, many of whom are Kurdish, whom the government accuses of terrorism.
