A Turkish Member of Parliament suffered a heart attack shortly after delivering a speech critical of Israel.
According to the Times of India, Saadet Party Kocaeli Deputy Hasan Bitmez, aged 53, collapsed during a session in the Turkish Parliament after declaring Israel will “suffer Allah’s wrath”.
In his address, which focused on the budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bitmez said:
Even if history remains silent, the truth will not remain silent.
They think that if they get rid of us, there will be no problem. However, if you get rid of us, you will not be able to escape the torment of conscience.
Even if you escape the torment of history, You will not escape the wrath of Allah.
Bitmez then said, “I salute you all” before he collapsed, fainting onto what appeared to be a marble floor of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
The incident was captured on video, showing the dramatic moment of his fall.
Emergency first aid, including CPR, was administered to Bitmez at the scene before he was stretchered out of the room for further treatment.
Turkiye’s Health Minister Fahrettin Koca provided an update on Bitmez’s condition, saying,
During angiography, it was seen that two main veins were completely blocked, and after the intervention did not yield any results, he was connected to a heart-lung pump. He is now vital with a heart-lung pump.
The context of Bitmez’s speech was a critique of the Turkish government’s policy regarding the Israel-Hamas war mainly concentrated in the Gaza Strip.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently reaffirmed his stance that Hamas is not a terrorist organization and warned Israel that any attempts to target Hamas members in Turkey would result in severe consequences.
More: Pindula News