MP DEAD
Turkish MP dies 2 days after collapsing with heart attack while giving speech saying Israel would ‘suffer Allah’s wrath’
Turkey’s president has also been critical of Israel's response to the situation in Gaza
A TURKISH MP has died two days after suffering a huge heart attack while giving a speech saying Israel would "suffer Allah's wrath".
Hasan Bitmez was seen criticising the government over its response to the situation in Gaza moments before he fell.
3
3
The 53-year-old - who suffers from diabetes - dropped to the floor as he finished his speech to the Turkish General Assembly Hall in Ankara on Tuesday.
Bitmez reportedly hit his head while falling.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced earlier that he had died at Ankara City Hospital where he was quickly taken and transferred into intensive care.
Koca said: "His heart stopped beating, then he was resuscitated in parliament and transferred within 20 minutes to hospital."
read more in world news
The minister said on Tuesday that an X-ray revealed two vital veins in Bitmez's heart were completely blocked and he was only still alive because of the machine he was hooked up to.
Authorities reported the MP was in a critical condition when he was handed over to the emergency services.
reported the long-time serving MP ended his speech by saying: "We can perhaps hide from our conscience but not from history.
"Israel will suffer the wrath of Allah."
Most read in The Sun
Moments after he stumbled across the stage and dropped to his knees before falling flat on his back.
Turhan Çömez, another MP and a trained doctor, was the first to rush to his aid, according to the Turkish outlet .
Shortly after, more MPs also attempted to give him first aid before he was taken to hospital.
Bitmez is the Felicity (Saadet) Party (SP) representative for the northwestern province of Kocaeli.
He has left behind his wife and child.
His party, an Islamist Turkish party, has heavily criticised the Israeli government’s response to the Hamas attack on October 7.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the country’s president, has also been critical of Israel's response to the situation in Gaza.
He told a packed hall in Istanbul on Saturday: "Israel has carried out atrocities and massacres that will shame the whole of humanity.
"All the values relating to humanity are being murdered in Gaza.
“In the face of such brutality, international institutions and human rights organisations are not taking any concrete steps to prevent such violations."
More than two months after Hamas' October 7 massacre on Israel, the battle in Gaza continues.
The terror group has even threatened to carry out a "worse and greater" terror attack on Israel than the brutal October ambush which claimed the lives of 1,200 Israelis.
Israel's defence minister claimed this week that they have encircled Hamas' last strongholds in northern Gaza as they hunt down the group.
Yahya Sinwar's terror army is reportedly outnumbered by the IDF and PM Netanyahu also said they have been surrendering.
More than 18,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed so far - Gaza’s Hamas-controlled Health Ministry claims.
Israel disputes these figures - and US President Joe Biden previously said he had “no confidence” in them.
But Benjamin Netanyahu admitted Israel has "not been successful” in reducing civilian casualties.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
He said the deaths must be blamed on Hamas - not Israel.
And as the horror continues there have been growing calls for a humanitarian ceasefire to stop the bloodshed, culminating in a landmark UN resolution ruling on Tuesday for an immediate ceasefire.
3
Topics