Turkish MP Has Heart Attack While Saying Allah Punishes Pro-Israel People

A Turkish member of parliament collapsed on Tuesday with an apparent heart attack amid discussing godly punishments for the Israeli people.

Felicity (Saadet) Party Member Hasan Bitmez fell beside a podium while addressing the Grand Assembly of the Turkish National Assembly during a reported budgetary discussion.

"You will not escape the wrath of Allah," Bitmez, 54, said moments before he fainted and seemingly hit his head on the floor, immediately drawing a swarm of onlookers to intervene and provide medical attention. He reportedly has diabetes.

Multiple reports indicate that some type of cardiac event occurred requiring life-saving measures, and that Bitmez was transported by stretcher to an ambulance that took him to a local hospital.

Turkey Health Minister Fahrettin Koca wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that Bitmez became "disturbed" during his speech and that he is following his condition closely. He told reporters that Bitmez is currently under treatment in the intensive care unit at Ankara Bilkent City Hospital.

Saadet Chairperson Temel Karamollaoğlu told reporters that Bitmez's health was still at risk and asked for prayers for his recovery, according to the Turkish pro-government daily newspaper The Daily Sabah.

Another report stated that Bitmez's statements on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza was being protested by AKP (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, or Justice and Development Party in English) members who were banging on desks in response to the anti-Israeli sentiments.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war on Palestinian militant group Hamas following its October 7 attacks on Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and 240 taken hostage. Death tolls continue to mount, drawing international scrutiny and continued calls for a ceasefire by many.

As of Tuesday, officials in the Hamas-led territory estimate more than 20,000 Palestinian casualties, according to the Associated Press. Palestinian and Israeli officials believe the number of people killed in Gaza exceeds 15,000, the majority of which are civilians.

Longtime Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been forceful in his condemnation of Israel's retaliation, accusing the country of war crimes in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks. He also criticized the West for emboldening Israel.

Erdoğan said about one week after the attacks that Israel's military campaign included "the most treacherous attacks in human history" with "unlimited support from the West." He also called it a "terror state."

Days later, Turkish first lady Emine Erdoğan told Newsweek in an exclusive interview that Turkey was leading humanitarian aid efforts and demanded a ceasefire—referring to a "red line" pertaining to the "slaughter" of countless Palestinian citizens.

"We must now ask the global community: Where does humanity draw the line?" she said. "What critical threshold of death are you waiting to put an end to this atrocity? In the face of attacks that have been going on for weeks, the global community has been deafeningly silent. How aware are we that the cost of these 40 days of silence will be years of mending and rebuilding of trust?"