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A "full-scale fight" broke out in the Turkish Parliament on Friday (16th), with dozens of lawmakers fighting each other, and bloodstains were visible on the white steps of the Speaker's podium.

Media reports said that the 30-minute farce was caused by an opposition lawmaker who called on the jailed lawmaker Can Atalay to enter the parliament. Dissatisfied ruling party lawmakers rushed to the stage, choked him, punched and kicked him, and then dozens of lawmakers joined the melee, leaving at least two lawmakers injured and the meeting forced to be suspended.

Atela was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2022 for attempting to overthrow the government. He won a seat in prison in May last year, but parliament removed him from office in January this year after the Supreme Court of Appeal upheld his conviction and stripped him of parliamentary immunity. But on the 1st of this month, the Turkish Constitutional Court overturned the Supreme Court of Appeal's decision.

Ahmet Sik, a member of the left-wing Turkish Workers' Party to which Atele belongs, condemned the incident in parliament that day, saying: "It is not surprising that you describe Atele as a terrorist. All citizens should know that the biggest terrorists in this country are (some) people sitting here." He was referring to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which holds a majority of seats in parliament.

AKP MP Alpay Ozalan then walked onto the podium and pushed Sik to the ground. Sik was punched several times by AKP MPs, and dozens of MPs joined the melee.

The farce lasted 30 minutes, at least two MPs were injured and the meeting was suspended for more than 3 hours. The Turkish Parliament Speaker said that the two MPs initially involved would be punished.