The Turkish MP who collapsed in parliament on Tuesday, suffering a heart attack immediately after warning, "You will not escape the wrath of Allah" during a speech about the Israel-Gaza war, has died in Ankara City Hospital, according to the nation's health minister.
The death of Hasan Bitmez, 54, was confirmed by Fahrettin Koca to reporters during a televised address. A member of the opposition Saadet Party, he had been condemning Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AK Party for refusing to suspend trade with Israel in an impassioned address before suffering the cardiac event.
Speaking from a podium emblazed with the slogan 'Murderer Israel; collaborator AKP' Bitmez said: "You allow ships to go to Israel, and you shamelessly call it trade... You are Israel's accomplice. You have the blood of Palestinians on your hands; you are collaborators. You contribute to every bomb Israel drops on Gaza."
After finishing his address on Tuesday, Bitmez suddenly fell to the floor, with other lawmakers rushing to his assistance.
Speaking on Tuesday, Koca said an angiography had been performed on Bitmez following his collapse, which revealed the two main blood vessels in his heart were blocked. He commented: "His heart stopped beating, then he was resuscitated in parliament and transferred within 20 minutes to hospital."
The Islamist-leaning Saadet Party was one of several factions that allied to back opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu from the center-left Republican People's Party to unseat Erdogan during May's presidential election. However, they were unsuccessful with Erdogan, the Turkish president since 2014, securing his third five-year term.
On October 7, thousands of Hamas fighters launched an attack on southern Israel, leaving around 1,200 dead, mostly civilians, with 240 hostages kidnapped and taken into Gaza. Israel subsequently launched an air and ground campaign against Gaza, which has killed at least 18,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, as cited by Associated Press.
Just weeks after the attacks, Erdogan insisted Hamas was not a terrorist organization, leading Republican Senator Rick Scott to say NATO should "seriously consider" Turkey's membership.
Speaking to lawmakers from his AK Party, Erdogan said: "Hamas is not a terrorist organization. It is a liberation group, mujahideen [holy warriors] waging a battle to protect its lands and people."
Erdogan sparked a furious response from Israel when he described the country as a "terror state" that was waging "the most treacherous attacks in human history" during a November 15 speech.
During a speech made ahead of a trip to Germany, Erdogan said: "Israel, you possess atomic bombs, nuclear bombs and you threaten with them. We know all of this. The end is near for you."
Abdullah Bozkurt, director of the Stockholm-based Nordic Research & Monitoring Network, told Newsweek that Erdogan's comments demonstrated his commitment to "Islamist ideology."
Referencing the Turkish president, he added: "By using Israel as a punching bag, he aims to garner attention from the White House, hoping to negotiate on various unresolved bilateral issues."
Update 12/14/23, 7:57 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is covering U.S. politics and world ... Read more
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