Joint letter of support TMA – January 2018 final

President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Cumhurbaşkanlığı Külliyesi
06560 Beştepe-Ankara
Fax: (+90 312) 525 58 31
E-mail: contact@tccb.gov.tr
30 January 2018
Mr President Erdoğan,
We are writing to you to express our grave distress caused by the ongoing campaign against the
Turkish Medical Association (TMA) since its press release on 24 January 2018 stressing that war
is a public health concern that damages the environment and threatens the survival of society at
large.
The TMA is the Turkish affiliate of the World Medical Association and the Standing Committee
of European Doctors, internationally respected organizations of medical professionals. We
strongly condemn the campaign of intimidation against the TMA. The head prosecutor in Ankara
filed a criminal complaint against the TMA on January 29, and the TMA’s office was searched.
In addition, another lawsuit was filed against the TMA’s leaders, demanding that they be
dismissed from their positions on the grounds that they are acting beyond the scope of the
mission of the TMA. We understand that eleven of the TMA’s leaders are under arrest at the time
of writing.
We are absolutely appalled by such a reaction to TMA’s call for peace. We denounce this
escalation of aggression aimed at the TMA in the strongest terms.
Our organisations represent together millions of physicians worldwide, who share a professional
commitment to medical ethics, human rights and peace. Like our Turkish colleagues, the medical
professionals we represent have the duty to denounce violence and alert our governments and
other relevant decision-makers to the dramatic immediate and long-term health effects of warfare
and armed conflicts.
The Turkish Medical Association has done nothing other than express its opinion in support of
human rights and peace. This is not a criminal offence. Moreover, filing a criminal complaint
against the TMA on the basis of the peaceful exercise of freedom of expression constitutes a
flagrant infringement of human rights as stated in the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights that Turkey ratified in 2003, hereby establishing its consent to be bound by its
provisions.
We therefore urge the Turkish authorities to:
• Release immediately the leaders of the Turkish Medical Association;
• Put an immediate end to all acts of harassment and intimidation, including at the judicial
level, against the Turkish Medical Association;
• Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in
accordance with international human rights standards and instruments ratified by Turkey.
We trust that you will promptly take all the necessary actions in line with these core universal
human rights and values.
Sincerely,
Dr Yoshitake Yokokura, President, World
Medical Association (WMA)
Donna McKay, Executive Director, Physicians
for Human Rights (PHR)
Dr. Jacques de Haller, President, Standing
Committee of European Doctors (CPME)
Adv. Leah Wapner, Secretary General,
European Forum of Medical Associations
(EFMA)
Victor Madrigal, Secretary General,
International Rehabilitation Council for Torture
Victims (IRCT)
Copy to:
– Prime Minister of Turkey Mr. Binali Yıldırım, Vekaletler Caddesi Başbakanlık Merkez Bina,
06573 Kızılay / Ankara ; Tel: (0312) 422 10 00 ; Fax: +90 312 403 62 82 ; Email:
ozelkalem@basbakanlik.gov.tr
– Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Dr. Sadık Ahmet Cad, No: 8 Balgat /
Ankara – Turkey 06100; Tel : +90 (312) 292 10 00
– Minister of Justice Mr. Abdülhamit Gül, 06659 Kizilay, Ankara; Tel: +90 (312) 417 77 70;
Fax: +90 (0312) 419 33 70; E-mail:info@adalet.gov.tr
– Minister of Interior Mr. Suleyman Soylu, Ankara; Tel: +90 (312) 422 40 00; Fax: 90 312 418
1795; Email: mustesarlik@icisleri.gov.tr // ozelkalem@icisleri.gov.tr
– Minister of Health Mr. Ahmet Demircan; +90(312) 585 67 33, eposta@saglik.gov.tr
– Ambassador Faruk Kaymakçı, Diplomatic Mission of Turkey to the European Union in
Brussels, Avenue des Arts 36-38, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium; Fax: + 32 2 511 04 50
– Ambassador Naci Koru, Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations in Geneva,
Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28B 1211 Geneva 19, Tel: +41 22 918 50 80; Fax: +41 22 734 08
59; Email: mission.turkey@ties.itu.int