Deputies from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) physically attacked an opposition MP today during an extraordinary meeting called to discuss the recent Constitutional Court decision on the status of Hatay MP Can Atalay.
The session, which took place after the top court ruled that Atalay's removal from parliament was unconstitutional and “null and void,” saw tensions escalate when Ahmet Şık, an MP from Atalay’s Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP), took to the floor.
During his speech, Şık sharply criticized the ruling party, accusing them of lacking integrity. "You have no shame. You have no dignity," Şık said. His remarks were met with uproar from AKP members, leading to a brief suspension of the session by Deputy Speaker Bekir Bozdağ.
The situation further deteriorated when AKP İzmir MP Alpay Özalan, a former footballer known for previous altercations in parliament, charged at Şık and physically assaulted him at the rostrum. Özalan was soon joined by other deputies from the ruling party.
Video showing the moments of the attack:
🔴 AKP'li Alpay Özalan'ın TİP İstanbul Milletvekili Ahmet Şık'a saldırı anı pic.twitter.com/qB5t9MaHrW
— bianet (@bianet_org) August 16, 2024
The altercation also left Gülistan Koçyiğit, a member of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, injured. She sustained a cut above her eyebrow.
Another video released by TİP deputy Sera Kadıgil:
— Sera Kadıgil (@serakadigil) August 16, 2024
The extraordinary session was attended by leaders of several opposition parties, including DEM Co-Chairs Tuncer Bakırhan and Tulay Hatimoğulları, and İYİ Party Chair Müsavat Dervişoğlu. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) did not participate in the meeting.
The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel, who had recently injured his foot, attended the session with a visible orthopedic support.
Reactions to the attack
Opposition parties strongly condemned the assault by AKP deputies. The DEM Party released a statement on social media, saying, "AKP deputies, who disregard the law, refuse to implement Constitutional Court decisions, and turn the Parliament into an arena of violence, continue to push the limits of vandalism.
"We strongly condemn this attack, which relied on numerical superiority to assault opposition MPs and injured the eyebrow of our Deputy Group Chair, Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit. No attack will deter us from doing politics for the people and defending the truth!"
CHP Chair Özgür Özel also voiced criticism, saying, "If blood is being shed in Parliament, what can the citizens do? This is disgraceful. There is blood on the floor, and they are hitting women. I am incredibly ashamed to have witnessed this situation.
"I urge Numan Kurtulmuş to immediately call a meeting of all party leaders or group chairpersons. This is no longer a burden the Parliament can bear."
Background on Can Atalay's case
Can Atalay is one of eight individuals imprisoned in connection with the countrywide anti-government protests in 2013, known as the Gezi Park protests. In April 2022, philanthropist Osman Kavala received a life sentence for attempting to overthrow the government by organizing and financing the protests. Atalay and six others were convicted of aiding this attempt.
Upon Atalay’s election to parliament in May 2023, he had already been incarcerated for 18 months. Despite his election, courts consistently denied his requests for release to fulfill his parliamentary duties. The Court of Cassation upheld his conviction in September, ensuring his continued imprisonment.
In response to the continued legal battle, Atalay filed an individual application with the Constitutional Court, which ruled on October 25 that his electoral rights had been violated. However, rather than enforcing this verdict, the local court referred it to the Court of Cassation, which openly criticized the Constitutional Court’s decision and announced intentions to file criminal complaints against its judges in what was an unprecedented crisis between the two highest judicial bodies of the country.
Following the publication of the Constitutional Court's detailed ruling on Aug 1, Atalay's legal team submitted a new application for his release to the İstanbul 13th Heavy Penal Court.
(VK)