ANKARA - Stating that the court panel was under pressure, dismissed TTB Central Council Secretary General Dr. Vedat Bulut said: "We will continue to defend the truth and continue our activities at TTB."

 

At the decision hearing held yesterday of the case filed with the request for the dismissal of the members of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Central Council on the grounds of "carrying out activities outside their duties", 11 members of the TTB Central Council were dismissed.

 

The court appointed a delegation of 5 people to attend the congress of TTB within 1 month. Speaking about the court's decision regarding TTB, TTB Central Council Secretary General Dr. Vedat Bulut said: "The Turkish state wants to render TTB inoperable, just like the trustees they appointed to the municipalities, and create a more comfortable propaganda environment during the election period."

 

'THE DUTY OF THE DELEGATION IS TO REALIZE THE CONGRESS'

 

Stating that the 5-person delegation appointed by the court to take TTB to the elections are the presidents of the Chamber of Medicine, Bulut said: "This delegation has no other duty other than taking TTB to the elections. Among our nearly 500 delegates, 5 people should have been elected and the majority should have been those working in Ankara because TTB has to hold elections within 1 month. The 5-person committee appointed by this court works outside Ankara. Presidents of Malatya, Samsun, Denizli, Konya and Erzurum Medical Chambers constitute this delegation. Our chamber presidents are also natural delegates. We do not find it right for the court to directly elect the panel; however, there are many methods in this regard. A lottery could have been drawn, or the people who would serve in the delegation could have been our colleagues working in Ankara. The duty of the selected 5-person committee is to take TTB to the election within 30 days. They have no other duties other than this. The fact that they are from outside Ankara may cause some problems. These colleagues need to take 1 month leave. TTB has 103 thousand members and 55 medical chambers. Going to elections within a month will require intense work. It is not a well-thought-out appointment, but after all, these people are chamber presidents and our colleagues."

 

'THE COURT WAS PUT UNDER PRESSURE'

 

Stating that the decision about TTB was a political decision and that the court was put under pressure, Bulut said: “The decision made about TTB is a completely political decision. The presiding judge adjourned the hearing for 1 and a half hours. It was said that the break was extended due to a problem arising from the system. In fact, we know that the court panel was put under pressure and the judge was put under pressure. Suspending the hearing for 1 and a half hours on a file with empty content shows that there is pressure on the court panel. Such a decision was made after the pressure."

 

'WE WILL CONTINUE TO DEFEND THE TRUTH'

 

Stating that they want to make TTB inoperable like trustees appointed to municipalities, Bulut said: "The government will continue its activities within TTB. The government will take the decision of the local court to the court of appeal. We understand from the decision of Can Atalay and Selahattin Demirtaş that we are no longer a state of law. They want to render TTB inoperable, just like the trustees they appointed to municipalities, and create a more comfortable propaganda environment during the election period because TTB knows about corruption and theft. TTB knows how mismanaged health policies are. We exposed their wrong policies during the epidemic and earthquake period. That's why they're trying to silence an institution that defends the truth, but they won't succeed. TTB is a healthcare professional organization, it is not an institution operating for commercial purposes. All of our work is based on volunteerism. We have work branches and our colleagues working in these branches continue their duties. We will continue our work in the TTB room.”

 

MA / Hakan Yalçın