Doctors Who Say 'War is a Public Health Problem' Appear Before Judge

* Photograph: Twitter / TTB

Click to read the article in Turkish

Trial of the 11 members of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB), who are charged with "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" and "inciting the public to enmity and hatred," has begun.

The investigation was opened after the TTB published a declaration entitled "War is a public health problem" during the "Operation Olive Branch", which was conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in Syria's Afrin.

11 doctors who were not under arrest and their attorneys have attended the hearing. Executives of human rights organizations, representatives from political parties, Ankara Bar Association board members and representatives from numerous civil society organizations have watched the hearing.

Prosecutor requested sentence

After the defendants' statements, the prosecutor has announced his opinion as to the accusations, requesting two separate sentences for two statements dated September 1, 2016 and January 24, 2018, as Evrensel reported.

The prosecutor has requested that Dr. Hande Arpat shall be penalized because of her Twitter posts, Şeyhmus Gökalp shall be acquitted and suspension of the sentence of Ayfer Horasan shall be canceled.

TTB attorneys have said, "We think the opinion as to the accusations was previously prepared. We demand a defense as to the accusations for defense."

The court has ruled that time shall be given for defense until the next hearing and for this reason the hearing shall be adjourned to 9 a.m. on March 20, 2019.

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'We said that the statement is not a crime'

The former Chair of the TTB Central Council Raşit Tükel, who has made the first statement among the defendants, said,

"After the arrests, the prosecutor told that we were charged because of our statement. We said that the statement is not a crime."

"We made a statement that underpins every kind of conflicts which are called war. Doctors' organizations want problems to be solved without weapons when there is use of weapons and force" said Tükel.

Ankara Massacre declaration counted as evidence

The declaration denouncing the October 10, 2015 Ankara Massacre which was found on Tükel's computer was counted as evidence.

When asked about the declaration, Tükel said, "The text that was dated October 10, 2015 and entitled 'We are sorry' is the text of the joint press release which was published right after the massacre. It is natural that the text was found on my computer, which TTB was a signatory of."

'This is why I took the Hippocratic Oath'

Mustafa Tamer Gören, a former member of the TTB Central Council, reminded that making people live is a responsibility for him as a doctor:

"This is why I took the Hippocratic Oath. I have a mission regarding protecting people's health. We have a mission such as warning the authorities of the public health problems which war will bring."

'Living an honorable and healthy life is a very basic human right'

Former TTB Central Council member Şeyhmus Gökalp said,

"I took care of hundreds of people who migrated to our country from Iraq and Syria due to conflicts. The truth I witnessed during these efforts is that mental factors like troubles and depression are opening black holes in the health of the individual."

Gökalp added, "Our statement contains the oldest value of medicine, which is protecting the human life. The right to live a honorable healthy life, the very basic human right."

(PT/VK)

* Sources: Evrensel, Punto24, Twitter