Diyarbakır Chamber of Medicine: #ReleaseDrŞerifDemir
Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish
Diyarbakır Chamber of Medicine issued a statement today (March 23) about the detention of its Co-Chair Dr. Şerif Demir. The Chamber also launched a campaign on social media with the hashtag "#DrŞerifDemirSerbestBırakılsın" (#ReleaseDrŞerifDemir).
The Co-Chair of Diyarbakır Chamber of Medicine, Dr. Şerif Demir was taken into custody in a house raid carried out by the police on March 20 at around 7 p.m. within the frame of an investigation conducted by Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Terror Crimes Investigation Bureau.
Anti-Terror Branch Directorate forces served the detention warrant on Demir and searched his house. After the house search, Demir was taken into custody on charge of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization." Following his medical examination, he was referred to Diyarbakır Police Department, where he is still held in custody.
On the same day, other non-governmental organization representatives such as the Health Workers' Union (SES) Branch Co-Chair Recep Oruç and Branch Secretary Mehmet Nur Ulu were also detained.
About the incident, the doctors from Diyarbakır Chamber of Medicine issued a press release, where they stated, "Defending good medicine values is not a crime." The doctors also said, "That doctors adopting a pro-peace attitude is an obligation as per the ethical values of medicine."
Released doctor Gökalp was also at the press release
Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Central Council member Dr. Şeyhmus Gökalp, who was one of the 11 doctors detained in the operation launched against the TTB, was also there for the statement for the press.
Click to read - Doctors from Turkish Medical Association Released
Upon their statement about Afrin entitled "War is a Matter of Public Health," an investigation was opened against the 11 members of the Central Council of Turkish Medical Association. On January 30, 2018, these 11 TTB members were taken into custody after searches at their houses and workplaces in seven different cities of Turkey; they were then referred to Ankara, where they were released on probation. (AS/SD)