MPs came to blows in the Turkish parliament yesterday as rival lawmakers exchanged insults and punches for the second time over a controversial bill to increase police powers against protesters.
Members of the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) and opposition parties clashed ahead of a debate on the proposed "Homeland security bill".
The scenes mirrored violence on Tuesday that left five deputies injured – including two who suffered head injuries after being attacked with a ceremonial gavel, The Guardian reports.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This is not the first time MPs have shown themselves to be less than entirely honourable. Here are five other parliamentary fights from around the world that have been caught on camera:
Georgia
Boxing Day turned all too literal in the Georgian parliament last year, as a brawl broke out between opposition and ruling coalition MPs. The fight began after opposition member Akaki Bobokhidze’s swore in an address to ruling coalition MPs. Further insults and expletives were exchanged before the house descended into chaos.
Ukraine
Scuffles were not uncommon in the Ukrainian parliament under Viktor Yanukovych. In 2012, lawmakers broke into a fist fight after deputies rushed to block the parliament's rostrum following accusations that members of the ruling party had been voting on behalf of their absent colleagues.
A sitting of the Kenyan National Assembly turned violent when MPs clashed over a controversial security laws amendment bill in December last year. Parliamentary speaker Justin Muturi was forced to adjourn for a half hour, but when MPs returned to the house, fist fights broke out.
A brawl broke out in the Korean National Assembly in 2009 after the government passed three bills to reform the media industry. Opposition MPs blocked the Speaker from entering the chamber to pass the bills and clashes broke out between rival parties.
In 2012, the Indian parliament gathered to discuss a sensitive civil rights issue. After the house leader entered and called the meeting to order, members of a minority party rushed to the bench triggering a chaotic brawl.
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Kurdish PKK militia to disband for Turkey talksspeed read The Kurdistan Workers' Party will disarm after four decades of armed conflict with Turkey, putting an end to 'one of the longest insurgencies in the Middle East'
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weaponsThe Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
