Beating in parliament, murder for snowball

Millions of people all across Turkey have been up in arms against violence, especially violence against women, since the brutal murder of 20-year-old university student Özgecan Arslan last week, but two recent incidents have proven that violence is just a routine of daily life in this country.

On Feb. 17, members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) physically attacked opposition lawmakers in parliament during a debate on a controversial security bill, injuring four of them, while a journalist was murdered in Istanbul?s Kad?köy district after a snowball hit the window of a shop while he was in playful snowball fight with his friends.

The fight in parliament erupted following arguments between AKP deputies and lawmakers from the main opposition Republican People?s Party (CHP) and the Peoples? Democratic Party (HDP) during a closed session late in the evening. According to the reports, the hammer and the gong on the parliament speaker?s table were used by AKP MPs to attack and hit their colleagues in the opposition.

HDP lawmaker Ertu?rul Kürkçü and CHP deputies Musa Çam, Aykut Erdo?du and Mahmut Tanal were injured in the attack. One of the CHP lawmakers suffered broken ribs, while Kürkçü sustained injuries to his head.

Female opposition lawmakers were also targeted by the AKP members, who were wearing black suits in protest of Aslan?s murder and violence against women.

The ruling party lawmakers even had the nerves to mock the victims with their physical assault. The AKP?s Gaziantep deputy Ali ?ahin shared a photo of Kürkçü on Twitter with a bandage on his head, and wrote ?The hammer and sickle can bring trouble,? in reference to Kürkçü?s background as a revolutionary youth leader who was also involved in armed...