Reacting to a physical violence perpetrated by a ruling AK Party MP, Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party MP Ayşegül Doğan declared that the opposition will not be intimidated by violence and insisted, “the political thuggery must end” in an interview with Mezopotamya Agency on Sunday.
The incident occurred on Friday, during an extraordinary session of the Turkish Grand National Assembly that quickly dissolved into chaos.
The session had been convened to address a controversial ruling by the Constitutional Court regarding imprisoned MP Can Atalay. However, instead of engaging in meaningful dialogue, the session escalated into a physical confrontation when Alpay Özalan, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP for İzmir, assaulted Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP) MP Ahmet Şık. During the altercation, Gülüstan Kılıç Koçyiğit, DEM Party Group Deputy Chair, was also injured.
In her remarks, Doğan condemned the ruling AKP / Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) coalition for turning the Assembly into a place where “debate and discussion are no longer possible”. She emphasised that the attack on Şık was not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of stifling dissent within the Assembly. “This isn’t about physical strength or throwing punches,” Doğan asserted. “They want to make attacks in the Assembly routine.”
Doğan warned that the normalisation of such violence could have dangerous consequences for society as a whole. “What happens in the streets when these images are broadcast? The responsibility for this lies squarely with those in power,” she said.
Despite the violence, Doğan remained resolute, affirming that the opposition would continue to resist and seek solutions through dialogue. “We will not be intimidated by these actions. But this cannot become the norm in the Assembly,” she concluded, calling on the Speaker of the Assembly Numan Kurtulmuş, to take a firm stand against such violence.
The 16 August session was initially called by opposition parties, including the DEM Party and the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), to discuss the Constitutional Court’s ruling on Can Atalay. The opposition sought to address legal concerns and the state of justice in Turkey, but the ruling party’s response has further deepened political tensions in the country.
