ANKARA — A violent altercation erupted in Turkiye’s parliament on Friday during a heated discussion about the fate of jailed opposition figure Can Atalay, who was controversially stripped of his parliamentary immunity earlier this year.
The confrontation came as lawmakers convened following the country’s constitutional court’s decision earlier this month to overturn parliament’s removal of Atalay from his seat. Atalay, who campaigned from prison and won his parliamentary seat last year, has been at the center of a contentious legal and political battle.
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During the session, Ahmet Sik, a fellow member of the leftist Workers’ Party of Turkiye (TIP), defended Atalay against attacks from ruling party members. Sik’s remarks, which accused the ruling party of being the “biggest terrorists” in the country, provoked a strong backlash from lawmakers associated with the ruling majority. This led to the chairman calling a break to defuse the situation.
The tension escalated when former footballer and ruling AKP party lawmaker Alpay Ozalan approached the rostrum and physically attacked Sik, shoving him to the ground. The incident resulted in scuffles among the lawmakers, underscoring the intense polarization within Turkiye’s political landscape.
Atalay’s legal troubles began in 2022 when he was among seven defendants sentenced to 18 years in prison in a controversial trial, which also saw the award-winning philanthropist Osman Kavala sentenced to life imprisonment. Despite his imprisonment, Atalay managed to campaign successfully for a parliamentary seat in the May 2023 general election. However, his election victory has exacerbated the legal and political tensions between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s supporters and opposition leaders, pushing Turkiye to the brink of a constitutional crisis.
