March 7, 2012 - 14:55 AMT
Turkish MPs clash during education bill hearing

Brawls erupted in the Turkish parliament’s education commission on March 6 during a debate on the controversial education bill after lawmakers from the Justice and Development Party (AKP) proposed and passed a motion to limit speeches to five minutes, Hurriyet Daily News reports.

The commission chairman had ordered a break to defuse the tensions just before 7 pm. The motion curbing the normally unlimited speaking time was drawn up after a lawmaker of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) spoke for more than two hours, following a record 12-hour speech by a fellow CHP deputy during the previous session.

The CHP has vowed to use all procedural means to protract the proceedings and block the bill.