CHP’s Doctor MPs Denounce Operation Against Launched Medical Association

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Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) doctor MPs Ali Şeker and Niyazi Nefi Kara have released a statement about police raiding homes of Turkish Medical Association (TTB) executives and detaining them.

Stressing that TTB is a professional association consisting of doctors, CHP Antalya MP Dr. Niyazi Nefi Kara and İstanbul MP Dr. Ali Şeker stated that doctors’ main duty is to keep people alive.

Reminding that President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused the TTB of “terrorism loving”, Şeker and Kara said, “There is no statement that implies terrorism loving or advocating terrorists in the declaration”.

Remarking that it is wrong to consider TTB’s statement within the frame of politics, CHP’s Kara and Şeker went on:

“Manipulating public and declaring the dissidents as traitor is one of the most frequent methods to which the AKP resorts.

“Declaring TTB’s declaration, which expressed the concerns they had about the martyrs and our injured children, as treason is that sort of manipulation.

“The process that started AKP Chair targeting [the association] and the Ministry of Interior stepping is actually a step towards silencing different voices.

“It is also a proof that freedom of expression, which is indispensable to real democracies, is trampled”.

What happened?

On January 26, 2018, President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called TTB “terrorist lovers” at the Extended Provincial Chairs Meeting at the AKP Headquarters. The title of the declaration which Erdoğan denounced was “terrorist lovers”.

Erdoğan targeted the TTB in Çorum and Amasya as well yesterday (January 28). On his return from his inspection at the Repatriation Center in Antep, Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu told journalists that he would file a criminal complaint against the TTB.

Prof. Erez had spoken to bianet

Speaking to bianet, Chair of İstanbul Chamber of Medicine Prof. Dr. Selçuk Erez had said:

“We the doctors always prefer peace over war.

““Our sensitivity naturally increases when it comes to a war that will end the life our soldiers, in other words our children. However, our sensitivity applies to our neighbours as well. This cannot be interpreted as terrorist loving”.

Investigation was launched

On January 28, the Ministry of Interior declared that it will file a criminal complaint to Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office against the TTB Central Council members.

An investigations was launched upon the criminal complaint yesterday (January 28). (AS/TK)