A brawl erupted in Turkey’s parliament on Friday after discussions about a jailed opposition figure who was controversially stripped of his parliamentary immunity earlier this year.
The meeting followed the constitutional court’s recent decision to overturn the parliament’s removal of Can Atalay from his parliamentary seat. Atalay, a lawyer and rights activist, had campaigned from his prison cell and won his seat last year.
During the session, Ahmet Sik, a member of the leftist Workers’ Party of Turkey (TIP), defended Atalay against accusations from ruling party lawmakers. Sik’s comments escalated tensions, leading to heated reactions from the ruling majority.
Chaos ensued when former footballer Alpay Ozalan, now a lawmaker from Erdogan’s ruling AKP party, approached the rostrum and physically attacked Sik, shoving him to the ground. Sik was then repeatedly punched by ruling party lawmakers, resulting in injuries to at least two opposition MPs.
Footage of the altercation was shared online, showing the violent brawl and the aftermath as staff cleaned blood from the parliament floor. Ozgur Ozel, head of the main opposition CHP party, condemned the incident, expressing shame at what had occurred.
This violent episode is part of a larger ongoing legal battle. Atalay, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2022 along with other defendants, was elected to parliament from his prison cell, representing the earthquake-ravaged Hatay province. His removal from parliament in January followed a Supreme Court ruling that upheld his conviction, but the constitutional court has since declared his removal “null and void.”
Turkey’s parliament has a history of lifting the immunity of opposition politicians, many of whom the government labels as “terrorists.” This incident further highlights the deep political divisions within the country.
