A violent brawl broke out in the Turkish Parliament during a heated debate about the imprisonment of an elected human rights lawyer. Several lawmakers were injured in the clash between government and opposition members.
A session of the Turkish National Assembly descended into chaos as members of the ruling government and opposition parties engaged in a physical altercation over the detention of a human rights lawyer. The incident, captured on video by the newspaper Cumhuriyet, shows Alpay Özalan, a lawmaker from the Islamic-conservative ruling party AKP, slapping Ahmet Şık from the Turkish Workers’ Party (TİP) during a speech. Şık fell to the ground, triggering a fierce brawl in the Ankara parliament.
According to reports from Habertürk, at least two opposition lawmakers attempting to break up the fight were injured. Blood was reportedly visible on the parliament floor afterward. Özgür Özel, the leader of the main opposition party CHP, condemned the incident, calling it “extremely shameful.” Alpay Özalan, known for his past career as a football player, once played for the German club 1. FC Köln.
Dispute over imprisoned lawmaker
The parliamentary session was convened to discuss the situation of Turkish human rights lawyer Can Atalay. In April 2022, Atalay was sentenced to 18 years in prison for aiding an attempted coup in connection with the anti-government Gezi protests of 2013. Despite being elected to parliament in May 2023, Atalay remains imprisoned. The Constitutional Court ordered his release, but the Court of Cassation has refused to implement the decision.
Atalay’s conviction in the so-called Gezi trial is widely viewed as politically motivated and has been declared unlawful by the European Court of Human Rights. The 2013 Gezi protests were specifically directed against then-Prime Minister and current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
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