Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 02:40pm on 14 Dec 2023,Thursday International
A Turkish opposition MP, Hasan Bitmez, died in the hospital Wednesday after suffering a heart attack during a parliamentary speech condemning Israel's actions in Gaza. Bitmez, 54, of the Saadet Party, had accused Turkey's ruling AK Party of complicity in Israeli violence, shouting "You have the blood of Palestinians on your hands!" before suddenly collapsing at the podium. An angiography showed main heart arteries blocked. Bitmez's impassioned speech came amid ongoing Turkish criticism of Israel under President Erdogan, who called Israel a "terror state" and said Hamas is not a terrorist group. The speech reflected persisting divisions over Middle East policy.
