A parliamentary fistfight in Turkey ended in the death of an opposition deputy, according to Anatolia news agency.
The agency said that True Path Party (DYP) deputy Fevzi Sihanlioglu died late Tuesday in Guven Hospital after having a heart attack in the parliament during the tension.
Doctor Sule Korkmaz of Guven Hospital was quoted as telling reporters that when the deputy was brought to the hospital, he was already dead. She said they intervened, but couldn't reach any result.
But Tehran Times said the deputy died after he was punched in the head during a chaotic brawl in the parliamentary debating chamber on Tuesday night.
CNN said Sihanlioglu was not part of the fistfigh, but he was trying to break up the brawl when he was hit. As the fight continued, Sihanlioglu walked outside and suffered a heart attack.
The fight involved a deputy of the rightist Nationalist Action Party (MHP), a partner in Ecevit's three-party government coalition, said the reports.
The incident put Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit under more pressures amidst calls for his resignation over the death of an opposition politician.
The opposition True Path Party (DYP) demanded on Wednesday that Ecevit step down over the death of Sihanlioglu.
DYP leader Tansu Ciller was quoted in the CNN report as saying on Wednesday that "the most honorable move in the face of this (incident) is to resign. That's why we call upon the prime minister and the deputy parliament speaker to resign.
"It is understood that he (Sihanlioglu) bore five or six blows to the head. It is not clear whether they were the cause of the death, but what is critical and regrettable here is that this incident took place under the parliamentary roof,” she said. Meanwhile, Ecevit indicated he had no intention of resigning.
According to Tehran Times, the incident sent a shudder through Turkey's political establishment on Wednesday, raising new questions over government ability to master urgent reforms.
Tensions flared up three times during the debate over the governmental bill, said Iranian news agency (IRNA) on Wednesday.
According to IRNA, the efforts of the Turkish Parliament speaker could not end the tensions over the issue.
CNN called the fight the worst in the history of the Turkish Parliament.
According to the station, Fighting broke out in parliament during debate of government proposals to speed the passage of legislation, especially vital economic reforms, often held up by painstaking votes on individual details.
The DYP insisted that the proposals would stifle debate and silence opposition – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
