A debate in the Turkish parliament over restoring the parliamentary mandate of jailed opposition member Can Atalay erupted into a brawl on Friday, leaving at least two lawmakers injured.

Atalay, a lawyer and rights activist sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2022, was elected to parliament in 2023 but was stripped of his mandate.

During the debate, tensions escalated when Workers’ Party MP Ahmet Şık called AKP lawmakers “the biggest terrorists of this country,” leading to AKP member Alpay Özalan assaulting Şık.

The altercation quickly turned into a 30-minute melee, resulting in the suspension of the session, Politico has reported.

After resuming, MPs voted to uphold Atalay’s suspension, and both Şık and Özalan were reprimanded. The incident is part of a growing trend of violence in Turkey’s parliament.

Written by B.C. Begley