In Turkey Parliament on Friday, a heated debate over a jailed lawmaker erupted into a physical altercation, injuring three MPs and highlighting the intense political divisions as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling party faces a strengthened opposition.

The confrontation began when an MP from Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) attacked an opposition member speaking at a podium in the assembly hall in Ankara. The skirmish, captured in videos shared by lawmakers and local media, resulted in bloodshed on the floor.

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Political tensions in Turkey have risen sharply following the AKP’s poor performance in the local elections in March, marking the party’s worst defeat since its founding. The opposition has capitalized on the ongoing economic crisis to gain traction.

The conflict ignited after Ahmet Şık, an opposition MP, criticized AKP members, accusing them of lacking dignity. In response, AKP MP Alpay Özalan hit Şık, leading to a broader altercation that caused minor injuries to the three MPs involved.

Özgür Özel, leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, condemned the violence, stating that such incidents are deeply embarrassing and undermine the role of parliament as a place for dialogue.

The AKP delegation’s chair office declined to comment on the incident, and attempts to reach Özalan’s office were unsuccessful.

The altercation occurred during a special parliamentary session focused on Can Atalay, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2022 for his alleged involvement in the 2013 Gezi Park protests against Erdoğan. Atalay has maintained his innocence.

Elected as an MP in the May 2023 general elections, Atalay should have been released following a ruling by Turkey’s constitutional court that his detention violated his rights to participate in political activities. However, Erdoğan criticized the constitutional court late last year, and a separate appeals body called for a criminal investigation into the court’s decision, leaving Atalay still imprisoned.

This dismissal of the constitutional court was harshly criticized by the opposition and seen as indicative of Erdoğan’s increasing authoritarianism. The government has been purging judges and prosecutors since the 2016 coup attempt against Erdoğan.

Özgür Özel has condemned the appeals court’s action as a judicial “coup attempt” and vowed to resist such lawlessness both in the streets and in public squares.

Violence between government supporters and opposition groups has frequently erupted, including a June incident in parliament following the arrest of a pro-Kurdish city mayor and the appointment of a government appointee in his place. The recent football season’s violence has also been interpreted by analysts as reflecting broader societal issues in Turkey.