Deputy Bitmez being laid to rest

Hasan Bitmez, Kocaeli MP and also the Vice President of the Felicity (Saadet) Party, who passed away at the age of 54 while receiving treatment after falling ill during his speech in the Parliament is being laid to rest today in İstanbul. 

A funeral ceremony was held for Hasan Bitmez at the Fatih Mosque. During the ceremony, a banner was unfurled that read, "Don't rejoice too soon, murderer Israel and collaborators, we will have many other Hasans."

The ceremony was attended by various political figures, including the Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairperson Özgür Özel, Felicity Party Chairperson Temel Karamollaoğlu, Democracy and Progress (DEVA) Party Chairperson Ali Babacan, İYİ Party Vice Chairperson Buğra Kavuncu, Kocaeli Member of Parliament Saffet Sancaklı who resigned from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, and numerous other politicians.

A ceremony was also held for the deputy at the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM/Parliament)  yesterday (December 14).

During the ceremony in the Parliament, Salih Bitmez, the father of Hasan Bitmez, wore a Palestinian scarf and the Felicity Party MP Necmettin Çalışkan placed a Palestinian flag on the coffin wrapped in the Turkish flag of Hasan Bitmez.

In his last speech in the Parliament on December 6, Bitmez had said, among other things, "The supporters of Zionism send aircraft carriers and warships to the waters off Gaza, while you allow ships from Turkey to deliver orders to Israel's ports."

Who is Hasan Bitmez?

He was born in Giresun in 1969. He completed his higher education at Al-Azhar University.

He held various positions in the National Youth Foundation. In 2000, he founded the Anatolian Youth Magazine and served as the editor-in-chief.

He began his political career in the Welfare Party Gebze District Organization. He held various positions in the Virtue Party and the Felicity Party.

Bitmez, who was also the Deputy Chairman of the Felicity Party, was elected as a deputy for Kocaeli in the elections on May 14.

Fluent in Arabic and English, Bitmez was married and a father of one child. (PE)