There was serious drama in Turkey’s parliament on Wednesday as lawmakers turned the chamber into a boxing ring following a heated disagreement over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s latest cabinet reshuffle.
Trouble started when members of the opposition kicked against the appointment of Istanbul’s Chief Prosecutor, Akin Gurlek, as the new Justice Minister.
President Erdogan had nominated Gurlek for the top judicial position, but opposition lawmakers strongly opposed the move and attempted to prevent him from taking his oath of office.
The situation quickly degenerated. Tempers flared, shouting filled the chamber, and lawmakers were seen shoving one another, with some even throwing punches as security struggled to restore order.
Gurlek’s nomination has been controversial from the outset.
As Istanbul’s Chief Prosecutor, he presided over several high-profile cases involving members of the main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP).
The opposition has consistently described those trials as politically motivated and part of a broader crackdown on dissent.
Despite the chaos, Gurlek eventually took his oath of office, surrounded by lawmakers from the ruling party who formed a protective ring around him.
In the same reshuffle, President Erdogan also appointed Mustafa Ciftci, the governor of Erzurum Province, as the new Interior Minister.
The developments come against the backdrop of ongoing political tension in Turkey.
In recent months, hundreds of officials from municipalities controlled by the CHP have been arrested over alleged corruption.
Among those detained was Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, widely regarded as Erdogan’s strongest political rival, who was arrested last year.
While critics argue that the arrests are targeted at weakening the opposition, the Turkish government maintains that the judiciary operates independently and without political interference.
Although no specific reason was given for Wednesday’s cabinet shake-up, the country’s Official Gazette stated that the outgoing ministers had “requested to be relieved” of their duties.
The new appointments are coming at a sensitive time for Turkey, as the country debates possible constitutional amendments and pushes forward a peace initiative with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), aimed at ending a decades-long conflict.
Parliament is expected to consider and pass reforms to support the peace process in the coming weeks.
