Dozens of lawmakers in Turkeys parliament engaged in a physical brawl on Friday during a heated debate about a jailed opposition deputy, Can Atalay, who had been stripped of his parliamentary immunity earlier this year. The chaotic 30-minute altercation left at least two lawmakers injured and led to the suspension of the parliamentary session. The deputies later reconvened to vote against an opposition motion aimed at reinstating Atalays parliamentary mandate.Atalay, a lawyer and human rights activist, won his parliamentary seat in the 2023 election while campaigning from his prison cell. The turmoil began when Alpay Ozalan, a member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), confronted Ahmet Sik, a leftist Workers Party of Turkey (TIP) member, who criticised the governments treatment of Atalay.Escalating tensions: From words to blowsSiks comments, including his statement that the biggest terrorists of this country are those seated on those benches, referring to the ruling majority, sparked outrage. Ozalan, a former footballer, approached the podium and pushed Sik to the ground, leading to a violent scuffle in which Sik was repeatedly punched by AKP lawmakers. The brawl quickly escalated as dozens of lawmakers joined the fray.🚨🇹🇷BRAWL ERUPTS IN TURKISH PARLIAMENT OVER JAILED MPS RETURNA fistfight broke out in Turkeys parliament on Friday when opposition MP Ahmet Sik was attacked by ruling AKP lawmakers after demanding the return of jailed colleague Can Atalay to the assembly.Video footage shows… pic.twitter.com/6Je3gFZCjt— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 16, 2024Footage shared online showed the chaotic scene, followed by staff cleaning bloodstains from the parliament floor. Injuries were reported, including head wounds sustained by deputies from the Republican Peoples Party (CHP) and the Peoples Equality and Democracy (DEM) party.Condemnation and legal contextOzgur Ozel, the leader of the main opposition CHP, condemned the violence, expressing shame at witnessing such behaviour. The parliamentary speaker announced that the two deputies who initiated the brawl would face sanctions.Atalays seat was initially stripped during a contentious parliamentary session in January, following a court ruling that upheld his 18-year prison sentence. Despite a recent constitutional court ruling deeming Atalays removal null and void, the AKP and far-right Nationalist Movement Party deputies joined forces to defeat the oppositions motion to restore his mandate.Atalays case has become a flashpoint in Turkeys ongoing political struggle, as parliament continues to lift immunity from prosecution for opposition politicians, particularly those whom the government labels as terrorists.