In a dramatic turn of events, Turkey’s parliament was engulfed in chaos on Friday as a physical altercation erupted among lawmakers. The brawl, which lasted for approximately 30 minutes, stemmed from a heated debate over the case of a jailed opposition deputy, Can Atalay, who had been stripped of his parliamentary immunity earlier this year.
The disturbance began when Alpay Ozalan, a member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), launched an attack on Ahmet Sik of the leftist Workers’ Party of Turkey (TIP). Sik had been vocal in condemning the government’s treatment of Atalay, who was elected to parliament while serving a prison sentence. Ozalan’s aggressive actions, including shoving Sik to the ground and punching him, quickly escalated into a full-blown melee involving dozens of lawmakers. The clash left at least two deputies injured and resulted in blood staining the parliament floor, as captured by CCTV footage and shared online.
The brawl led to the suspension of the parliamentary session, but deputies eventually reconvened to vote on a motion aimed at restoring Atalay’s parliamentary mandate. The motion was defeated, with AKP and far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) deputies uniting to reject the opposition’s appeal.
The violence in parliament follows a protracted legal and political battle over Atalay’s status. He was initially removed from his seat in January following a Supreme Court ruling that upheld his conviction. Despite his efforts to campaign from prison and a subsequent victory in the May 2023 election, his removal was deemed “null and void” by the constitutional court on August 1.
The brawl underscores the deepening political crisis in Turkey, where tensions between the ruling party and opposition have intensified, leading to frequent and sometimes violent confrontations in the legislative chamber. The parliament speaker has announced that the two deputies at the heart of the conflict will face sanctions.
