The General Assembly of the Parliament convened yesterday upon the call of the opposition parties for an extraordinary meeting for the imprisoned Turkish Workers' Party (TİP) deputy Can Atalay. Bekir Bozdağ, who presided over the meeting, gave the floor to TİP deputy Ahmet Şık. Speaking on the floor of the Parliament, Şık told AKP members: “We are not surprised that you call Can Atalay a terrorist, since you call everyone who is not one of you ‘terrorists. ’ But everyone should know that the biggest terrorist organization in this country, the one that has collapsed the state with its dynasty mafia, is the one sitting in these seats, and the biggest terrorists are the ones here.” 

 

Upon these remarks, Deputy Speaker Bekir Bozdağ adjourned the assembly. After the break, Şık took the floor again and used the same expressions. Thereupon, the Parliament was recessed again. Meanwhile, AKP Izmir deputy Alpay Özalan attacked Şık. 

 

Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Group Deputy Chair Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit was also attacked by AKP members. Koçyiğit's eyebrow was wounded and CHP member Okan Konuralp was also injured during the attack. 

 

Alpay Özalan, AKP Parliamentary Administrative Supervisor and Izmir deputy Alpay Özalan, who attacked DEM Party and TİP deputies, and Ahmet Şık, who was attacked, were given reprimands.

 

AKP's Özalan, whose name has been associated with violence throughout his football career, has been using the parliamentary rostrum as a site of violence since the day he was elected as a deputy. The incidents of violence involving Özalan, a former football player, are not limited to yesterday's incident. After being elected as a member of parliament, Özalan had made a statement at the Parliament where he went to register as a member of parliament, saying, “No one should have any doubt that I will stand against them in the slightest insult to our President.” 

 

VIOLENCE REPORT CARD 

 

Özalan's record of violence is as follows;

 

“* On July 24, 2018, then HDP Istanbul deputy Ahmet Şık's speech was interrupted by AKP members. After the tension, the session was suspended for 5 minutes and Şık was penalized for 2 sessions. After the tension, Alpay Özalan and Bülent Turan attacked Ahmet Şık. 

 

* On July 12, 2019, as a debate between AKP and CHP deputies turned into a brawl, Özalan said to the CHP deputy he reacted against, “Come here, shout, come here! He is running to the back, shouting; come, shout from the front”.

 

* On July 26, 2020, Özalan walked on CHP Group Deputy Chair Engin Özkoç.

 

* On March 17, 2021, Özalan attacked Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu from HDP, whose parliamentary seat was revoked, in the General Assembly of the Parliament and tried to take him out. 

 

* On December 9, 2022, CHP Group Deputy Chair Özgür Özel, who came to the floor to respond to then Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, said: “He should not be tempted to give himself a standing ovation as if he was applauding the martyrs.” Özalan walked towards CHP's Özel here as well.

 

FOOTBALL CAREER ALSO FULL OF VIOLENCE

 

Özalan was always on the agenda with his rough play and aggressive attitude during his football years. He was always associated with violence in his football career from Turkey to England and then to Germany. So much so that he broke the nose of Hakan Şükür, whom he called “my close friend”, twice. 

 

“* Özalan marched on referee Ali Uluyol, who showed him a red card in the Beşiktaş-Gaziantepspor match in 1998, swearing and repeatedly punching and kicking him.

 

* Özalan transferred to Aston Villa in England and was fired from Aston Villa after an altercation with David Beckham during the Turkey-England match. 

 

* Özalan, whose aggressive behavior was especially evident during 'national' matches, punched rival player Fernando Couto in the 29th minute of the 2000 European Championship quarter-final match against Portugal, which ended 0-0. 

 

* After the 2006 European Championship play-off round match against Switzerland, Özalan attacked Swiss players with a kick from behind.  

 

* After his career as a footballer, he tried to become a coach, but after the 5-1 defeat to Manisaspor in February 2017, the Eskişehirspor management decided to part ways with Özalan. Özalan later became a deputy from the AKP.”

 

 

PARLIAMENTARY RECORD: 0

 

 

Alpay Özalan, whose past and present are full of violence, has no function in the Parliament except for the fights he starts. On the other hand, it is noteworthy that no sanctions have been imposed against him. Yesterday, Özalan was reprimanded for the first time for his aggressive behavior. 

 

According to the official website of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Alpay Özalan's record in his first term as deputy is as follows:

 

* Number of Legislative Proposals with First Signature: 0

 

* Number of Written Question Proposals with his first signature: 0

 

* Number of Parliamentary General Discussion Proposals with his first signature: 0

 

* Number of Parliamentary Inquiry Proposals with his first signature: 0

 

* Number of Parliamentary Research Proposals with his first signature: 0

 

* Number of speeches he made in the General Assembly since 2018, including the oath-taking ceremony: 12

 

SECOND PERIOD

 

Despite all this, Özalan was elected as a deputy for the second time and his second term is as follows; 

 

* Number of Legislative Proposals with First Signature: 0

 

* Number of Written Question Proposals with his signature: 13

 

* Number of Parliamentary Motions for General Debates with First Signature: 1

 

* Number of Parliamentary Inquiry Proposals with his first signature: 0

 

* Number of Parliamentary Research Proposals with his first signature: 0

 

* Number of speeches he made in the General Assembly, including the oath-taking ceremony: 1

 

MA / Semra Turan