Turkish Lawmaker Shot to Death in Parliament Scuffle
A lawmaker from the governing Motherland Party was detained in the shooting death of an opposition member Wednesday inside Turkey’s Parliament building as political tension ran high after a major setback for the ruling party in nationwide municipal elections last Sunday.
The semi-official Anatolia news agency said that Abdurrezzak Ceylan, from the center-right True Path Party, died from a gunshot wound in the chest.
Political sources said that Ceylan, 40, intervened in an argument over election results between Zeki Celiker, an independent member of Parliament, and ruling party member Idris Arikan.
Officials said Arikan was detained and will appear at a hearing today.
Members of Parliament are allowed to carry guns. However, no one is allowed to enter Parliament armed, although one official said it is not always possible to search deputies for arms.
The news agency said a ballistic report indicated that the bullet was fired from Arikan’s gun, but Arikan denied firing the fatal shot.
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