A fistfight broke out in Turkey's parliament on Friday when an opposition deputy was attacked after calling for his colleague, jailed on charges of organising anti-government protests but since elected an MP, to be admitted to the assembly.
Turkey's AK Party lawmaker Alpay Ozalan scuffles with Workers' Party of Turkey (TIP) lawmaker Ahmet Sik, who was speaking during an extraordinary meeting of the Turkish parliament to discuss jailed opposition lawmaker Can Atalay's return to the assembly, in Ankara, Turkey August 16, 2024. Reuters/Cagla Gurdogan
A fistfight broke out in Turkey's parliament on Friday when an opposition deputy was attacked after calling for his colleague, jailed on charges of organising anti-government protests but since elected an MP, to be admitted to the assembly.
Video footage showed MPs for the ruling AKP party rushing in to punch Ahmet Sik at the lectern and dozens more joining a melee, some trying to hold others back. Blood spattered the white steps of the speaker's podium.
Atalay was sentenced to 18 years in 2022 after being accused of trying to overthrow the government by allegedly organising the nationwide Gezi Park protests in 2013 with philanthropist Osman Kavala, also now jailed, and six others. All deny the charges.
Despite his imprisonment, Atalay was elected to parliament in May last year to represent the Workers' Party of Turkey (TIP). Parliament stripped him of his seat, but on Aug. 1 the Constitutional Court declared his exclusion null and void.
"We're not surprised that you call Can Atalay a terrorist, just as you do everyone who does not side with you," Sik told AKP lawmakers in a speech.
"But the biggest terrorists are the ones sitting in these seats," he added.
The deputy parliament speaker declared a 45-minute recess after the fistfight.
The TIP also called for Atalay's release from prison.
Though not often, brawls are not unheard-of in Turkish parliament. In June, AKP lawmakers scuffled with pro-Kurdish DEM Party MPs over the detention and replacement of a DEM Party mayor in southeast Turkey for alleged militant links.
Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever and Ece Toksabay
The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Education announced Monday that all schools across the country will switch to remote learning starting Tuesday 5 May through Friday 8 May 2026, in the wake of a series of attacks attributed to Iran.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Bahrain on Monday for talks focused on "security cooperation," according to a source within the Ukrainian delegation.
The United Arab Emirates has signed a landmark defence agreement on Monday, acquiring 10 Embraer C-390 Millennium aircraft in what the Brazilian manufacturer describes as the largest international deal ever signed for the type. The contract also includes options for additional units.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.