Support for Turkish Medical Association after Erdoğan ally targets doctors
Photo: SES Adana
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The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and the Confederation of Public Employees' Unions (KESK) have expressed support for the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) after it was targeted by an ally of the President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Criticizing the Ministry of Health for mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic, the TTB launched a campaign titled, "You can't manage, we are burning out."
As part of the campaign, doctors staged protests throughout the country for the health workers who lost their lives because of Covid-19.
In response to the TTB's protests, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chair Devlet Bahçeli accused the association of "treason" and said it should be shut down.
Releasing a written statement after Bahçeli's remarks, the KESK noted that the TTB was fulfilling its responsibilities as a public institution according to Article 135 of the Constitution.
All the statements and warnings the TTB made were aimed at "protecting the public interest and health," it said.
"The TTB is sharing the data it receives from hospitals and family healthcare centers and the information demonstrates that the data announced by the government has nothing to do with the truth," said the KESK. "In fact, the data announced by the Ministry of Health is refuted by the data coming from only a few provinces."
Professional medical organizations and health workers' unions have been disputing the official figures, stating that daily new Covid-19 cases in some provinces were higher than the ministry figures for the entire country.
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The KESK also noted that 92 health workers have lost their lives and thousands have been infected with Covid-19. "The lynch campaign against the TTB is a great disrespect against the memory of the health workers who lost their lives while fighting the pandemic and an attack and insult against those who are on duty."
"The government, which can't manage the pandemic and cause health workers to burn out, and its little partner, should not look at the TTB but the mirror to find who is responsible for the loss of the control of the pandemic," it further said.
Also, senior figures from the HDP paid a visit to TTB Chair Sinan Adıyaman today (September 18), expressing support for the association.
What did Bahçeli say?"An ill-intentioned campaign aiming to undermine our country's fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak and to drive our citizens and health workers to anxiety and panic is constantly gaining ground. We see this, we know who have dark intentions. "The entity of treason called the Turkish Medical Association will apparently wear black ribbons in all medical institutions to supposedly raise concerns about our deceased people and health workers. This attempt is a poisonous and evil plot. "What will happen when a black ribbon is worn? What will they say to our people treated for COVID-19 disease? What will they say to the families of our brothers and sisters who lost their lives within this scope? What do they, a disgrace to the physicians' profession who have become a malady rather than an association, aim to achieve? "If there will be a differentiation between those who wear black ribbons and those who do not at hospitals, is there anyone who has an idea about what might possibly happen? The Turkish Medical Association is as dangerous as corona, it is spilling out threats. To top it all, telling the government 'You cannot manage it, we are dying, we are burning out' is a treacherous plot. "My call is this: The Turkish Medical Association is fuelling groundless blemishes and suspicions about human and public health in such a sensitive period as this. For this reason, the Medical Association that has the word Turkish only in its name must be closed immediately and without delay. A legal action must be taken against its executives. "An enterprising council composed of patriotic scientists who keep on struggling against the virus without making any calculations or having malicious intentions must be established and the black page of scandal, betrayal and hostility to Turkey must be closed. It is now impossible to display any patience or tolerance to the Turkish Medical Association." |
(TP/RT/VK)