Turkish doctor suspended from duty for writing Erdoğan’s remarks at entrance of room

A state family doctor has been suspended from duty after comparing Erdoğan’s 2022 remarks of “Let them leave” with Atatürk’s 1938 remarks of “Entrust me to Turkish doctors” on a monitor in front of her room.

Friday March 10 2023 02:43 pm

Duvar English

An investigation has been launched against a doctor for writing “Let them leave (2022)” on the monitor in front of her room, in reference to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s remarks from last year targeting physicians.

On March 8, 2022, Erdoğan had slammed the doctors for leaving the country for better opportunities by saying: “Isn't it the state that educates doctors? I'm speaking frankly, if they're going, let them leave.” Erdoğan’s remarks at the time had drawn widespread reaction from doctors who indicated that such a polarizing language was traumatizing.

In the western province of Eskişehir, Dr. Senem Kaser, working at Alanönü Family Health Center, took Erdoğan’s remarks to the monitor in front of her room and compared them to the 1938 remarks of Turkish Republic’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataürk which read as “Entrust me to Turkish doctors.”

Dr. Keser also wrote “Tents in the quake region have been flooded. Have you heard?” on the board next to her room.

The Eskişehir Provincial Health Directorate has launched an investigation into Dr. Keser and suspended her from duty in the mean time. The Eskişehir Bilecik Medical Chamber slammed the move, saying: “We condemn the investigation launched against Dr. Senem Kaser over her remarks that are within the framework of freedom of speech. We demand that she immediately be reinstated to her post.”