‘It is a Success of the Society, Social Media and Conscience’

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Physician and academic Prof. Dr. Haluk Savaş, who was discharged by a statutory decree during the State of Emergency and was not permitted to go abroad for his cancer treatment though his international travel ban was lifted, has announced that he has received his passport.

Releasing a statement on Savaş, the Governorship of Adana previously announced that it accepted the passport application of the physician which had been rejected despite court rulings, stating that a passport would be issued for him within the scope of "exceptional circumstances".

Posting a series of messages on his Twitter account, Haluk Savaş has said, "Our passports have arrived today, we can go abroad" and added:

"We had a fast week. One week ago, I applied to the Civil Registry Office of the Adana Governorship to get a passport. Because I was put on trial before and have been acquitted. The court has lifted my international travel bans.

"And I wanted to use the opportunities abroad for my cancer treatment by getting a passport. However, when I went to the Governorship, I faced the reality that I could not get a passport because I was discharged by a statutory decree. I felt so sad and complained about my troubles by posting a couple of tweets with that sadness.

"But, something miraculous happened. Thousands of tweets were posted from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. The hashtag "Passport to Haluk Savaş" suddenly became a trend topic. And at 11 p.m., the civil registry director called me personally and invited me to the Governorship. He said that we can apply."

Concluding his remarks, Savaş has said, "It is a success of the society, social media and conscience. I had my reservations regarding the state institutions in Turkey, people with different political views have proven that the society has not collapsed, but has improved."

What happened?

Psychiatrist and psychotherapist Prof. Dr. Haluk Savaş was discharged from his duty at the Medical School of Gaziantep University by a Statutory Decree during the State of Emergency. Having served time in prison and being acquitted of the offense charged, Prof. Dr. Savaş shared a message on his Twitter account on May 13, 2019 and announced that he is not permitted to leave Turkey for another country for his cancer treatment.

In his Twitter messages, Savaş stated that an officer from the Adana Governorship told him that "since he was discharged by a Statutory Decree, his passport has also been cancelled." Shortly afterwards, this issue has sparked outrage on social media and several media have shared messages under the hashtag #HalukSavaşaPasaport (Passport to Haluk Savaş).

With his passport cancelled and not being renewed though he has no legal travel restrictions, Savaş has been struggling to receive a cancer treatment that is not provided in Turkey. (AÖ/SD)