A Turkish politician from the opposition party passed away on Thursday, following a heart attack that struck him just after he finished criticizing the government's stance on Israel. Hasan Bitmez, aged 54 and a member of the Felicity (Saadet) Party, breathed his last at Ankara City Hospital, confirmed Health Minister Fahrettin Koca in a televised statement.
Bitmez, an alumnus of Cairo’s Al Azhar University, served as the head of the Centre for Islamic Union Research and had a background working with Islamic non-governmental organizations, as outlined in his parliamentary biography. He leaves behind a spouse and one child. The official parliamentary broadcast captured Bitmez collapsing on Tuesday while addressing the general assembly.
During his speech, Bitmez lambasted President Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AK Party for maintaining trade ties with Israel despite the conflict in Gaza. He accused the government of complicity with Israel and held them responsible for Palestinian deaths. Moments after delivering his passionate address, Bitmez suddenly fell backward, prompting fellow MPs to rush to his aid.
Following his collapse, medical examinations revealed that both main arteries in his heart were completely blocked. Efforts to resuscitate him began immediately in parliament, and within 20 minutes, he was swiftly transported to the hospital. Medical equipment sustained his life, as Health Minister Koca confirmed earlier this week.
The Saadet Party, a smaller Islamist faction, had joined forces with the primary opposition bloc supporting challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the recent presidential elections against Erdogan, though the latter emerged victorious. This alliance agreement enabled Saadet Party representatives like Bitmez to secure parliamentary seats by being included on the main opposition party CHP lists.
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