A brawl broke out in the Turkish parliament over the appointment of a new justice minister.

A brawl broke out in the Turkish parliament over the appointment of a new justice minister.

A fight erupted in the Turkish parliament over the appointment of a new justice minister. The incident was sparked by the decision to appoint former Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Akin Gürlek as the new Justice Minister.

Gürlek had previously led high-profile investigations that resulted in the arrests of several opposition politicians, including former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. This is why his appointment sparked strong opposition protests.

Before the oath-taking ceremony, members of the opposition CHP party occupied the parliamentary rostrum.

When the Deputy Speaker invited Gürlek to take the oath of office, a brawl broke out between members of the ruling AKP and the opposition. The session was adjourned for ten minutes. CHP MP Mahmut Tanal suffered a nosebleed during the brawl.

After the break, Gürlek finally took the oath of office, surrounded by AKP supporters. He was booed by opposition MPs. The new Interior Minister, Mustafa Çiftçi, was also sworn in. Both ministers left the hall without comment.

The opposition called the appointment a “blow to democracy” and continued pressure on the CHP. Party leader Özgür Özel declared that “nothing will be the same again.”