Fighting erupts in Turkish parliament
In the Turkish parliament, members of the government and the opposition engaged in a physical altercation during a debate over a detained human rights lawyer. A video published by the newspaper "Cumhuriyet" showed AKP government party member Alpay Özalán slapping opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) member Ahmet Sik during a speech, causing Sik to fall to the ground and triggering a brawl in the Ankara parliament. At least two opposition members who tried to intervene were reportedly injured, with blood visible on the parliament floor. CHP leader Özgür Özel described the incident as "highly shameful." Özalán is a former footballer who previously played for 1. FC Köln.
The parliament was holding an extraordinary session to discuss the situation of Turkish human rights lawyer Can Atalay. Atalay was sentenced to 18 years in prison in April 2022 for aiding a coup attempt in connection with the 2013 Gezi protests. He was elected as a member of parliament in the May 2023 elections. The Constitutional Court ordered Atalay's release, but the Court of Cassation refused to enforce it.
Atalay's conviction in the so-called Gezi trial is considered politically motivated and was ruled unlawful by the European Court of Human Rights. The 2013 Gezi protests were also directed against the then Prime Minister and current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The heated debate over Atalay's case led to intense fighting between government and opposition members in the parliament. The altercation was sparked when AKP member Alpay Özalán physically attacked CHP member Ahmet Sik, causing a brawl.
