5 Turkish deputies hurt as tensions spiral over protest bill

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey’s ruling party on Wednesday, February 18, struggled to push a hugely controversial bill boosting the powers of police against protesters through parliament, after tensions spilled over into fighting between MPs that left 5 deputies hurt.

The scuffles overnight Tuesday, February 17, to Wednesday – some of the worst seen in the national assembly in years – saw MPs brandishing ceremonial gavels, exchanging punches and one deputy even dumped in a flowerbed.

The opposition has expressed outrage over the new bill, accusing President Recep Tayyip Erdoganof trying to turn Turkey into a police state and vowing to use every possible tactic to prevent the text even being debated.

On Wednesday, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which introduced the bill, was still unable to begin a formal debate on the legislation.

Wednesday’s parliament session focused instead on unrelated motions presented by the opposition in a delaying tactic aimed at thwarting the debate on the so-called “homeland security bill.” 

The bill has been put on parliament’s agenda for Thursday, February 19. 

Five opposition lawmakers were injured in the midnight scuffles, with two suffering head injuries inflicted by the gavel normally used by the speaker, the Dogan news agency said.

Four of the five required hospital treatment for their injuries and the session, which had gone on until after midnight, was finally adjourned until Wednesday afternoon.

The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) took the affair to the parliament speaker’s office, demanding that the footage from the fighting – filmed by some MPs on their phones – be scrutinized and the guilty be sanctioned.

‘First time I see this’

Ertugrul Kurkcu, an opposition MP, said he suffered a head injury while trying to thwart a punch directed at Sebahat Tuncel, a female deputy from the HDP. 

“I was stuck in the middle to prevent a punch aimed at Mrs Sebahat (Tuncel). I was wounded on the head. AKP (lawmakers) attacked with whatever they have in their hands. 

“They attacked with the parliament speaker’s gavel and the parliament bell and hit us with iron chairs,” he said.  

AKP lawmaker Mustafa Elitas claimed that he was “harassed” by the HDP’s female lawmakers, including Tuncel and prominent deputy Pervin Buldan, when he took the floor to deliver a speech.

“They tried to drive me away from the rostrum,” he said, accusing the two of merely pretending to be hurt. 

“The two women lawmakers battered themselves. They played their role very well.”

The brawl came at the end of a session that had been dominated by a high-profile murder case, which has thrust the issue of violence against women into the spotlight.

Just hours before the fighting, many lawmakers in the 550-seat parliament had taken the floor to condemn attacks on women after the murder and attempted rape of a 20-year-old student by a bus driver in southern Turkey – a case that has triggered an outpouring of public anger.

CHP lawmaker Muslim Sari said in a Twitter message that his fellow colleagues Musa Cam, Aykut Erdogdu and Refik Eryilmaz were also injured during the parliamentary brawl, “as a result of AKP attacks.” 

Musa Cam was being treated in hospital but all three were “in good condition” he said, adding: “We will keep on our struggle against fascism.” 

Kurkcu said the opposition was more determined than ever to block the protest bill, which looks set to be one of the most contentious pieces of legislation in Turkey in years.

The bill was introduced in parliament by the government after deadly pro-Kurdish protests in October.

“We consider it a law that facilitates a switch to an authoritarian state,” Aykan Erdemir, a lawmaker for the CHP, told Agence France-Presse.

The AKP however has stood behind the legislation, saying it is compatible with EU laws and describing it as a “package protecting freedoms”. – Rappler.com