It was a free-for-all fight in Turkey’s parliament on Friday after lawmakers took on themselves following a failed discussion on the fate of a jailed opposition. The figure was controversially stripped of his parliamentary immunity earlier this year.
The parliamentarians were meeting after the country’s constitutional court earlier this month struck down parliament’s decision to oust Can Atalay from his parliamentary seat.
Recall that Atalay won his seat last year after having campaigned from his prison cell.
However, on Friday, a fellow member of the leftist Workers’ Party of Turkey (TIP), Ahmet Sik, defended Atalay against the attacks on him by ruling party lawmakers.
“It’s no surprise that you call Atalay a terrorist,” he said.
“All citizens should know that the biggest terrorists of this country are those seated on those benches,” he added, indicating the ruling majority.
According to reports, the comment by Sik drew angry responses from ruling party lawmakers. Which prompted the chairman to call for a break.
However, scuffles broke out after former footballer and a lawmaker from Erdogan’s ruling AKP party, Alpay Ozalan, walked to the rostrum. He shoved Sik to the ground, an AFP journalist in parliament reported.
“Sik was then punched on the ground several times by ruling party lawmakers.
“At least two opposition MPs were injured during the fistfight.
Footage posted online showed the brawl, and then staff cleaned blood stains from the parliament floor afterwards.
However, the Head of the main opposition CHP party, Ozgur Ozel, has denounced the violence.
“I am ashamed to have witnessed this situation,” he added.
According to AFP, Atalay was deprived of his seat following an ill-tempered parliamentary session in January. This was despite efforts by fellow leftist deputies to halt the proceedings.
“He is one of seven defendants sentenced in 2022 to 18 years in prison following a controversial trial that also saw the award-winning philanthropist Osman Kavala jailed for life.
However, from prison, the 48-year-old Atalay campaigned to be elected to parliament. He campaigned to represent the earthquake-ravaged Hatay province in the May 2023 general election.
“He was elected as a member of the leftist TIP, which has three seats in the parliament.
However, that election win led to a legal standoff between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s supporters and opposition leaders. The crisis pushed Turkey to the verge of a constitutional crisis last year.
“Parliament’s decision in January to oust Atalay came after a ruling by the Supreme Court of appeals that upheld his conviction. The judgment, therefore, cleared the way for the move to strip him of his parliamentary immunity.
“But on August 1, the constitutional court — a body in charge of reviewing whether judges’ rulings comply with Turkey’s basic law — published its ruling on the case.
“Atalay’s removal as a member of parliament was “null and void”, it said.
“Turkey’s parliament has previously voted to lift immunity from prosecution of opposition politicians. Many of them Kurds and are viewed by the government as “terrorists”.
source: Channels TV
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