The nation’s lawmakers convened an unusual meeting to talk about Can Atalay, a detained opposition politician, and his potential return to the legislature.
However, another MP from the ruling AK party, Alpay Ozalan, approached Ahmet Sik at the speaker’s podium during the session as the lawmaker for the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TIP) was speaking.
On camera, members of the ruling AK party could be seen charging forward as one of them punched Mr. Sik. Dozens more MPs joined the brawl, some of them attempting to stop others from joining.
The speaker’s podium’s white steps were covered in blood.
Numerous more lawmakers stood up and hurriedly approached.
After months of legal and political unrest during which Turkey’s two highest courts clashed, the Court of Appeals’ decision to remove human rights activist and lawyer Mr. Atalay from his position was read aloud in parliament earlier this year.
Opposition politicians rushed to the podium in January when deputy speaker Bekir Bozdag announced the decision to remove Mr. Atalay from his parliamentary seat.
