Turkish Parliament Passes Bill Amid Brawls, Chaos

Members of the ruling AK Party and the main opposition CHP clashed in the Turkish parliament on the last day of the budget session. The brawl lasted for about 10 minutes, forcing the speaker to adjourn the parliament.
According to Turkey Today, chaos broke out during the budget debate on Sunday night (December 21). Members of parliament punched each other. Earlier, the brawl broke out in August last year over the jailing of the opposition leader. However, despite the chaos, the 2026 central government budget law was passed by 320-249 votes and the 2024 final accounts law by 316-247 votes.
During his speech, Mustafa Varank, the AK Party’s Bursa MP, told CHP Chairman Özgür Özil, “Your leader should not be afraid. Farmers in CHP-run cities are still waiting for free tractors.” In response, Günaydin criticized the government, saying the AK Party had “reached the bottom in political mudslinging” and was spreading propaganda against CHP-run municipalities.
Then, tensions escalated around a protest by CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Basari. It quickly escalated into a scuffle and then a full-scale fight. Several MPs from both parties clashed in the central chamber of parliament. Security forces struggled to bring the situation under control. After the scuffle, which lasted about 10 minutes, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus adjourned the session. The scuffle reportedly continued during the break.