Istanbul Medical Chamber to probe anti-vaccine doctor

The Istanbul Medical Chamber launched an investigation into a doctor for speaking at an anti-vaccination rally in Istanbul, the organization said on June 27. Dr. Bilgehan Bilge had explicitly urged the rally attendees to avoid getting vaccinated, and said that anyone encouraging receiving the treatment would eventually be tried.

Duvar English

The Istanbul Medical Chamber launched an investigation into a doctor who spoke at an anti-vaccination rally in Istanbul on June 27, the organization said on the same day. 

Dr. Bilgehan Bilge attended the "Plandemic Meeting" in Istanbul's Üsküdar district where he gave a speech encouraging the public to "never ever get a vaccine."

"Never ever get vaccinated. Let them prevent us from getting on planes and entering malls. They will change their minds a year later and apologize to those who got vaccinated," Bilge said. "This is not a slogan or a joke! They will be tried!"

 The Istanbul Medical Chamber dubbed Bilge a "charlatan" for his remarks, noting that some 50,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Turkey since the outbreak started in March 2020.

"Some groups including medical school alumni charlatans try to create hesitation and animosity toward vaccinations with lies that defy science and reason," the medical chamber's statement said. 

The medical chamber launched an investigation into Bilge for his reported claims, the official statement said, noting that the result would be shared with the public once the probe was complete.