Brawl breaks out in Turkey's parliament over an imprisoned opposition leader

Chaos erupted in the Turkish parliament after a member of an opposition party referred to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's party as a "terrorist organization."

Ahmet Sik, a delegate in the Workers’ Party of Turkey, criticized members of Erdoğan's party in a speech, calling them terrorists. 

He belongs to the same party as Can Atalay, who has reportedly been jailed for political reasons, according to Fox News.

Atalay was elected as a parliamentary deputy in 2023 while he was imprisoned, after being sentenced in 2022 for his involvement in anti-government protests in 2013.

"We're not surprised that you call Can Atalay a terrorist, just as you do everyone who does not side with you," Sik said in his Friday speech. "But the biggest terrorists are the ones sitting in these seats." 

This resulted in unrest with dozens of lawmakers getting involved, some throwing punches at one another and others attempting to break up the fight. One female lawmaker was punched. 

Ozgur Ozel, the head of the Republican People's Party, told The Associated Press that the situation was "shameful."

"Instead of words flying in the air, fists are flying. There is blood on the ground. They are hitting women," he told the outlet. 

After the fighting ended, parliament took a break and reopened three hours later. Sik and the lawmaker who attacked him were reprimanded by the parliament's speaker.