Turkish parliamentarian Hasan Bitmez was giving a speech to the Grand National Assembly on the war with Hamas when he collapsed, on Tuesday.
Bitmez, a member of the Islamist Felicity Party, was giving a speech about the war with Hamas to the Assembly and finished by saying "You will not escape the wrath of Allah. I salute you all."
Bitmez collapsed almost immediately after finishing his sentence.
Turkish Parliamentarian Suffers Heart Attack after Condemning Israel’s War on GazaHasan Bitmez, a member of the Grand National Assembly, collapsed after delivering his speech, his last words to MPs, “You will not escape the wrath of Allah. I salute you all.”Bitmez is… pic.twitter.com/zD9xJV5Bi3
— War Watch (@WarWatchs) December 12, 2023
Parliamentarians rushed to his aid. MP Dr. Turhan Çömez began giving him CPR on the floor of the Assembly while other parliamentarians provided any aid they could.
Bitmez hospitalized and in serious condition
Bitmez was taken out of the Assembly on a stretcher with Dr. Çömez still performing CPR, Çömez is a licensed surgeon.
The Turkish Health Minister Dr. Fahrettin Koca announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Bitmez had been taken to hospital and was given an angiography and taken to intensive care. BBC Turkish reported that Bitmez's condition was "extremely critical and serious".
Bitmez reportedly has diabetes.
The Felicity Party is an Islamist party that regularly criticizes the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) for its "moderate" stance on Gaza.
Bitmez was criticizing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's response to the Israel-Hamas war, saying that the Turkish government was directly responsible for every Israeli bomb dropped on Gaza.