Turkish MP Suffers Heart Attack During Tirade Against Israel

Turkish parliamentarian Hasan Bitmez suffered a heart attack and collapsed next to the podium at the Turkish National Assembly on Tuesday after delivering a tirade against Israel.

The Grand Assembly of the Turkish parliament was ostensibly debating budgetary considerations on Tuesday, but Bitmez launched into a fiery condemnation of Israel’s war against the terrorists of Hamas in Gaza, accusing Israelis of “crimes against humanity” and “ethnic cleansing.”

“Even if history remains silent, the truth will not remain silent. They think that if they get rid of us, there will be no problem. However, if you get rid of us, you will not be able to escape the torment of conscience,” he said.

Bitmez’s last words before collapsing were reportedly, “Israel will not escape the wrath of Allah!”

Bitmez, 54, reportedly suffers from diabetes. Fortunately, one of the fellow MPs who rushed to his aid, Turhan Comez of the IYI Party, is a trained physician. After Comez rendered aid at the scene, Bitmez was removed from the National Assembly chamber by stretcher after collapsing and taken to intensive care at Ankara’s Bilkent City Hospital. He was reported to be in critical condition as of Tuesday afternoon.

Bitmez is the deputy chief of Turkey’s Saadet or “Felicity” Party, an Islamist party formed in 2001. Saadet is considered the more hardline Islamist alternative to the ruling Justice and Development (AKP) party of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey and Israel agreed to restore full diplomatic relations in September 2022 after years of estrangement, but their relations took a turn for the worse after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, and Israel launched its counter-terrorist operation in Gaza. 

Erdogan has been critical of the Israeli military response while praising the savage rapists and murderers of Hamas as “freedom fighters.” Bitmez was evidently trying to be even more critical when he suffered his heart attack. According to some observers of the parliamentary debate, Bitmez grew agitated after AKP legislators began banging on their desks to protest parts of his speech.

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Saadet Party chair Temel Karamollaoglu told Turkey’s Daily Sabah on Tuesday that “Bitmez’s health was still at risk” and “asked for prayers for his recovery.”