Hasan Bitmez, a Turkish MP for the Felicity Party (Saadet Partisi) who collapsed while delivering a speech in the national parliament, has finally died, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said today, revealing that Bitmez was suffering from severe heart problems and that doctors put him an artificial lung and an external heart device in an attempt to save his life.
The tragedy occurred while Bitmez, 54, who suffered from diabetes and had two heart stents implanted, was giving a speech criticising the Turkish government’s policy on Israel, which led to a heated argument with several deputies in the chamber. After a 22-minute speech, Bitmez ended his speech by saying “I greet you all with respect” and immediately collapsed, hitting his head on the stairs. The speaker of parliament immediately suspended the session, and the National Assembly’s medical teams performed an emergency heart massage and transferred him to a hospital in Ankara, where he eventually died two days later.
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As a history lover, Pablo Gómez was captivated by Turkey from the first day he visited it in 2006: he got married there, has a house there… and has since become an expert on Turkey’s current affairs. With a long experience in media, he has been at the helm of hispanatolia.com since 2011.
