A brawl broke out in the Turkish parliament during a heated debate about the status of imprisoned opposition politician Can Atalay and his expulsion from parliament. The incident occurred during a speech by MP Ahmet Şık, a member of the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TIP), who defended Atalay against accusations by MPs from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
The beginning of the fight
The video of the incident shows Ahmet Şık on the podium, giving a speech, when Alpay Özalan, an AKP MP and well-known former football player, suddenly approaches him and tries to hit him. This gesture triggered a chain reaction that led to a physical confrontation between members of the two parties. Ahmet Şık was seen falling to the ground during the brawl, while other MPs joined the confrontation. The seriousness of the situation was underlined by the fact that parliament staff later wiped traces of blood from the floor, a sign of the intensity of the clash.
Atalay and his political struggle
Can Atalay, a lawyer and human rights activist, lost his seat in parliament earlier this year. His candidacy had been submitted despite already being in prison, having been sentenced to 18 years in 2022. His conviction, which attracted widespread international attention, was the result of a controversial trial in which philanthropist Osman Kavala was also sentenced to life imprisonment. Atalay had run for office from prison and won a seat in the Turkish parliament, drawing attention to him and the political and legal conditions in Turkey. His election was seen by many as a symbol of resistance to political pressure from the government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
