Just seconds after ending a vicious rant against Israel’s war with Hamas with a declaration that Israel cannot “escape the wrath of Allah,” a Turkish lawmaker collapsed on the floor of the country’s National Assembly from a heart attack.
In a clip of the incident that has gone viral on social media, 54-year-old Hasan Bitmez was seen collapsing after giving a speech on Tuesday before the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Turkish Grand National Assembly — where he accused Israel of “crimes against humanity” and “ethnic cleansing.”
“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 be able to escape the wrath of Allah,” he said, according to a translation of his speech.
Bitmez, who serves as the deputy head of the Saadet Party, Turkey’s small Islamist party, turned and collapsed onto the floor immediately after making the remarks — prompting shouting from the rest of the assembly as people rushed in to help him.
NEW: Turkish lawmaker Hasan Bitmez collapses from a heart attack just seconds after saying Israel would "suffer the wrath of Allah."
The 53-year old lawmaker collapsed after giving his speech in the General Assembly Hall in Ankara, the Capital of Turkey.
"We can perhaps hide… pic.twitter.com/OpoXO2g1z2
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 12, 2023
The Turkish lawmaker, who reportedly suffers from diabetes, received aid at the scene from a colleague who is also a trained physician, Turhan Comez of the IYI Party. Bitmez was then removed from the National Assembly chamber via stretcher and transported to intensive care at Ankara’s Bilkent City Hospital.
Turkish officials later released a statement about Bitmez’s medical treatment, noting that “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 statement continued.
Bitmez was reportedly in critical condition upon reaching the hospital on Tuesday afternoon, and there has been no update as to his condition as of Wednesday afternoon.
Hasan Bitmez, a member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, collapsed from a heart attack just seconds after saying Israel would "suffer the wrath of Allah."
So either God strongly disagrees with him, or he got the Covid vax one too many times.
— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) December 12, 2023
Hasan Bitmez, a member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, collapsed from a heart attack just seconds after saying Israel would "suffer the wrath of Allah."
So either God strongly disagrees with him, or he got the Covid vax one too many times.
— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) December 12, 2023
