Statement from Osman Gökçek following the fistfight in the Turkish Parliament: 'Tanal is very unstable, I have no regrets'

Following the fight that escalated into a fistfight between AKP Ankara MP Osman Gökçek and CHP Istanbul MP Mahmut Tanal, a statement came from Osman Gökçek. Connecting to the live broadcast of tv100 by phone, Gökçek said, "We did not beat a CHP MP for no reason. Mahmut Tanal is a very unstable man. He chases police officers. We gave them the necessary response and sent them home. They wanted to occupy the podium and attack the ministers; we did not allow this."

Gökçek stated, "I am against violence, but I have no regrets. If you try to occupy the podium of a minister appointed by the President and attack, we will engage in such an act there to exercise our democratic right. I have no regrets at all."

"THEY WANTED TO ATTACK MINISTER GÜRLEK, WE PREVENTED IT"

AKP MP Osman Gökçek, who came to the agenda following the fistfight with CHP MP Mahmut Tanal, said the following about the incident;

"AK Party Ankara MP Osman Gökçek said, "Thank God I am fine, I have no problems. While the honorable Minister Gürlek was sitting in the back with the ministers, they suddenly wanted to occupy the podium. I immediately headed to where Mr. Akın was. Because the CHP members stood up as if they were going to commit violence all of a sudden. They took our honorable minister and brought him to the podium.

"CHP MEMBERS STOOD UP AS IF THEY WERE GOING TO COMMIT VIOLENCE ALL OF A SUDDEN"

While we were standing there, normally when any orator is speaking in the TBMM, you heckle from where you are sitting, you protest. CHP members had previously wanted to attack our ministers Yerlikaya and Varank as well. When there was such a crowd there, there were those who threw books. Later, when Tanal and the MPs with him started running and coming in an attack position, I intervened to repel them. As you can see, when I threw one punch at Tanal, the MP next to him also tried to hit me. We handled him too, thank God. We repelled them from there. There is a right granted to us by the Constitution.

"I WOULD DO THE SAME, I HAVE NO REGRETS"

If they do the same move again, I will do the same. I have no regrets. If you try to occupy the podium of a minister appointed by the President and attack, we will engage in such an act there to exercise our democratic right. I have no regrets at all.

I don't like Mr. Özgür Özel, but when he came to this podium to take his oath, how right would it have been if I said 'I will not allow this'? If there had been a move against our honorable ministers there, we could not have tolerated it.

"CHP HAS A TENDENCY TOWARD VIOLENCE"

In the past weeks, they wanted to bring a coffin for the pension negotiations, we said it was against the regulations. They wanted to attack us. CHP has a tendency toward violence. We are not in favor of violence. When someone slaps a person on the right cheek, no one waits for the other to say 'come on, slap my left cheek too.' Not just Mahmut Tanal, nearly 40 MPs from the CHP ran to occupy the podium, but we did not allow this occupation. While some CHP MPs sit in their seats and respect democracy, why do Tanal and about 40 MPs run to occupy the podium? Let them explain it to me.

"MAHMUT TANAL IS A VERY UNSTABLE MAN"

We did not beat a CHP MP for no reason. Mahmut Tanal is a very unstable man. He chases police officers from time to time. It is not clear what he will do. We gave them the necessary response and sent them home."