Ankara, August 17 (FN Agency) A brawl broke out in Turkey’s parliament on Friday when an opposition lawmaker was attacked after demanding that his colleague, who is imprisoned for organizing anti-government protests but has since been elected as a member of parliament, be allowed into the assembly. Video footage shows lawmakers from the ruling AKP party rushing in to beat Ahmet Sik at the lectern and dozens more intervening in a brawl, with some trying to hold others back. Blood splattered the white steps of the lectern. Atalay was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2022 after being accused of trying to overthrow the government by organizing the nationwide protests in Gezi Park in 2013 along with philanthropist Osman Kavala, who is also now imprisoned, and six others.

All deny the allegations.Despite his imprisonment, Atalay was elected to parliament in May last year as a representative of the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TIP). Parliament stripped him of his seat, but on August 1 the Constitutional Court declared his exclusion null and void. “We are not surprised that you call Can Atalay a terrorist, just like you do with anyone who is not on your side,” Sik said in a speech to AKP MPs. “But the biggest terrorists are those who sit in those seats,” he added.The deputy speaker of parliament declared a recess after the brawl. After a break of more than three hours, the session resumed, this time chaired by the parliament speaker rather than his deputy. In a vote, parliament reprimanded TIP’s Sik for his statements against the AKP and AKP’s Alpay Ozalan was also reprimanded for his physical attack on Sik. The main opposition leader of the CHP said it was “shameful”.

“MPs have beaten other MPs, even women. This is unacceptable,” CHP leader Ozgur Ozel told reporters. Pro-Kurdish DEM party leader Gulistan Kocyigit, who was also beaten, said the ruling party was trying to silence the opposition with violence. “It was clear that they came very well prepared and planned… They are trying to silence our speech and our voice with pressure, violence and coercion,” Kocyigit said. The TIP also called for Atalay’s release from prison. While brawls are rare, they are not unknown in the Turkish parliament. In June, AKP MPs clashed with pro-Kurdish DEM party MPs over the arrest and replacement of a DEM party mayor in southeastern Turkey over alleged militant links.