In a significant show of solidarity, 135 civil society organisations from across Turkey, including professional associations, confederations, solidarity groups, political parties, institutions, unions, rights organisations, faith-based groups, and platforms have declared their support for the Turkish Medical Association (TTB). This comes after the TTB’s Central Council was dismissed following a court decision.
The issued statement highlighted the dismissal of the TTB Central Council as an attempt to intimidate all professional organisations, chambers, unions and democratic mass organisations. It read:
“The decision to dismiss the executives of the Turkish Medical Association, the guarantor of the public’s right to health, without any legal basis, is a part of the constitutional dismantling process in our country.
The Turkish Medical Association advocates for:
– The public nature of health services against the commercialisation and commodification of health,
– Free, high-quality, accessible health services in one’s mother tongue for everyone,
– Peace and the right to life against war,
– The rights of health workers and their protection from violence,
– Transparent, participatory, and accountable management of the pandemic, during which it informed the public about the realities of the situation.
This unlawful attack on the Turkish Medical Association targets the entire society and the public’s right to healthy living. Dismissing the democratically elected Central Council of the TTB, which represents over 100,000 members, serves to intimidate all professional organisations, chambers, unions, and democratic mass organisations. It’s an example of the trustee practices widely implemented by the government in various administrative units, from universities to local governments.
The attack is not only on the TTB but also on the public’s right to health, the right to organise, and the right to live in peace in a democratic country.
We declare our commitment to intensify our joint struggle against this illegal action targeting the Turkish Medical Association.
TTB CANNOT BE SILENCED, TTB IS US, WE ARE HERE.”
Signatories of the statement include various organisations such as the Mediterranean Disabled People’s Federation, Alevi Bektaşi Federation, Alevi Culture Associations, Amedspor Fans Association, Ankara Initiative for Freedom of Thought, Anti-Capitalist Muslims, Confederation of European Alevi Unions, Children’s Rights Advocates Network, Platform for Unity and Solidarity for Democracy, Democratic Alevi Associations (DAD), Democratic Regions Party (DBP), DISK Revolutionary Construction Workers Union, DISK Retired Workers Union, Dialogue Group, Eastern Southeastern Associations DGD Platform, Ecology Union, Labour Party (EMEP), Workers’ Movement Party (EHP), Retirees Solidarity Union, Disabled Rights Federation, Disabled Confederation, FISA Child Rights Centre, Democratic Peoples’ Congress (HDK), Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party, Peoples’ Bridge Association, Human Rights Association (İHD), Jineps Newspaper, Women’s Defence Network, Public Employees Trade Unions Confederation (KESK), Kurdish Writers Association (Komeleya Wejekaren Kurd), Purple Solidarity, Purple Tribune, Student-Parent Association (Veli-Der), Lawyers for Freedom Association (ÖHD), Pir Sultan Abdal Culture Association, Politika Newspaper, Rosa Women’s Association, Social Research Foundation (SAV), Social Policy, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association (SPOD), Psychologists for Social Solidarity Association (TOHAD), Social Freedom Party (TÖP), Turkey-Germany Culture Forum, Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP), Turkey Writers Union (TYS), University Lecturers Association (ÜNİV-DER), Green Left Party, and many others.
