A lawmaker from the opposition Felicity Party (SP) is in critical condition in an Ankara intensive care unit following his collapse on the parliament floor on Tuesday after criticizing the Turkish government’s policy on the Israeli war against Palestinians, the SP leader announced.
SP leader Temel Karamollaoğlu announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that SP lawmaker Hasan Bitmez, 53, who is also the party’s deputy chairman, is in critical condition and in need of prayers.
Bitmez collapsed at the podium on Tuesday after delivering a fervent speech in which he criticized Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza and the Turkish government’s alleged support for Israel.
He accused the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government of having “endless love for Israel” and contributing to “every bomb dropped by Israel.”
He also accused Israel of “crimes against humanity” and “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians before collapsing at the end of his speech.
Some lawmakers from the AKP blamed Bitmez’s condition on “God’s wrath,” according to minutes of the parliamentary session reported by the BBC, due to his accusations aimed at the AKP.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca told reporters on Tuesday that Bitmez’s heart stopped after he collapsed on the floor and that he was given CPR. He was rushed to a hospital where an angiogram showed that his coronary arteries were blocked. The minister said the SP lawmaker was put on a heart-lung machine and is in serious condition.
Israeli media outlets such as The Jerusalem Post, Ynetnews and The Times of Israel reported extensively on Bitmez’s remarks about Israel and his condition.
After Palestinian militant organization Hamas launched attacks on southern Israel from the Palestinian enclave of Gaza on October 7 that killed 1,200 people and resulted in the taking of 240 hostages, Israel retaliated by pounding Gaza, leading to more than 18,000 casualties.
Although President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan uses a strong rhetoric against Israel, accusing it of committing war crimes in Gaza, his government is criticized for not cutting off diplomatic and commercial relations with Israel.
An investigation by Turkish journalist Metin Cihan has recently revealed that business between Turkish companies and Israel continues as usual despite Ankara’s harsh rhetoric towards Israel.
Cihan shares the results of his investigation on X, formerly known as Twitter, citing data from open sources.
Bitmez was elected to parliament from the Islamic-rooted SP in the May general election. The SP is one of the strongest supporters of the Palestinian cause in Turkey.