Controversial new voting laws trigger brawl in Turkish parliament

A fist-fight erupted in Turkey’s parliament yesterday after lawmakers approved changes to the country’s electoral rules that critics say are aimed at helping President Recep Tayyip Erdogan consolidate power.

The legislation “formally allows for the creation of electoral alliances, paving the way for a tie-up between President Erdogan’s ruling AK Party (AKP) and their nationalist allies”, says Reuters. It was widely expected to pass, given the combined support of the AKP and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

Immediately after the parliament’s deputy speaker, Ayse Nur Bahcekapili, announced the voting result, a brawl erupted between nationalist lawmakers and those from the main opposition. “Several parliamentarians traded punches and shoved and chased each other in the chamber,” Reuters reports.

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Turkey is due to hold elections next year, and Erdogan “will need to secure 51% of the vote to remain at the helm”, says The Washington Post.

“The president knows that a small shift in votes could mean a defeat in a contest he cannot lose,” Wolfango Piccoli, co-founder of London-based advisory firm Teneo Intelligence, told Bloomberg. “Further initiatives to maximise the chances of a positive outcome on ballot day are likely.”

The changes mean Erdogan’s ruling party can now enter a formal alliance with the nationalist party, permitting the smaller party to gain parliamentary seats even if it fails to pass the 10% electoral threshold. In turn, Erdogan would secure the nationalists’ continued support.

In addition, members of the country’s security forces will be allowed to enter polling stations on election day when invited by a voter. The government says this measure will stamp out intimidation by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), but opposition groups say the presence of security forces could be used to rig votes.

Put together, the measures amount to a “serious threat” to fair and free elections, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) said in a statement following meetings with representatives of eight other parties.

“The risk of holding elections under the shadow of guns could put voters under pressure,” CHP lawmaker Ugur Bayraktutan told a parliamentary committee.