Workers' Party of Turkey

A special parliamentary session to address the status of jailed former deputy Can Atalay ended in chaos on Aug. 16, with a brawl breaking out that left several lawmakers injured.

The session, held despite parliament being in recess, was convened after the Constitutional Court declared that the annulment of Atalay's parliamentary status was invalid.

The parliament has stripped imprisoned Workers' Party of Türkiye (TİP) lawmaker Can Atalay of his parliamentary status, defying a ruling by the top court last September.

The decision by the Court of Appeals to unseat Atalay, who was elected to the parliament in last May's election while in prison, was read in the parliament on Jan. 30.

Türkiye's top court has ruled in favor of Can Atalay, the imprisoned lawmaker from the Workers' Party of Türkiye (TİP), declaring a "violation of rights in terms of the right to be elected and the right to personal liberty and security" in his case related to the 2013 Gezi Park protests.