Video caught the moment fists went flying in the Turkish parliament Friday after an opposition lawmaker called President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party a “terrorist organization,” Fox News reported.
The brawl started when Justice and Development Party (AKP) member Alpay Özalan attacked Workers Party member Ahmet Sik after Sik made the “terrorist” claim, Fox News reported.
Prior to the incident, the Turkish Grand National Assembly was debating Can Atalay. Atalay is a Workers Party member who was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his alleged role in the 2013 anti-government protests that challenged President Erdogan’s rule, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Video Shows Massive Brawl Erupt After Georgian Lawmaker Clocks Opponent In Head)
A fistfight broke out in Turkey’s parliament when an opposition deputy was attacked after calling for his colleague, Can Atalay, to be admitted to the assembly. Atalay was jailed on charges of trying to overthrow the government but was since elected an MP https://t.co/M4NyyckHNu pic.twitter.com/HovObp0gAd
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 16, 2024
“We’re not surprised that you call Can Atalay a terrorist, just as you do everyone who does not side with you,” Sik said. “But the biggest terrorists are the ones sitting in these seats.”
Footage of the melee shows lawmakers subsequently throwing punches and hurling papers as screaming and yelling can be heard in the background. As others rush in to possibly land a blow or try to restore peace, one female lawmaker can be heard yelling, “Stop it!”
“It is a shameful situation,” Republican People’s Party member Ozgur Ozel told the Associated Press. “Instead of words flying in the air, fists are flying. There is blood on the ground. They are hitting women.”
Ozel was apparently referring to a female lawmaker whose blood was splattered on the parliament’s podium after getting hit, according to Fox News.
Some international human rights groups say Atalay, who remains behind bars after getting elected from prison in 2023, is being detained for political reasons, Fox News reported.
Despite an Aug. 1 ruling by the Constitutional Court saying Atalay had the right to take his seat in parliament, lower courts have ignored the ruling and Atalay remains locked up, according to the outlet.
Three hours after the fracas, the parliamentary sessions resumed with the parliament’s speaker reprimanding both Sik and Özalan for their perceived roles in the brawl, according to Fox News.