Arrest of 11 Senior Members of Turkey's Medical Association Due to Criticism of Operations in Syria

The Turkish government has arrested all senior members of the country's main medical association for criticizing Turkey's aggressive operations in northern Syria. Reports indicate that 11 senior members of the association have been detained, including 'Rashid Tokal', the director of the association. According to Agence France-Presse, these arrests took place on Tuesday, February 10, after the Turkish Medical Association issued a statement describing the Turkish army's attack on northern Syria as 'creating a major public health crisis' and stated that this operation would lead to 'irreversible problems'. The Turkish Medical Association represents 80% of doctors in Turkey and, with over 83,000 members, is considered the main healthcare institution in the country. According to Reuters, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan referred to this association on Sunday, February 8, calling them 'lovers of terrorism' and stated: 'Believe me, they are in no way intellectuals but a group of slaves; servants of imperialism.' Reports indicate that the statement from the Turkish Medical Association included a call to stop the military operations in northern Syria, stating: 'No to war, peace immediately.' Erdoğan commented on this phrase from the statement saying: 'This phrase 'no to war' that they have written is nothing but an eruption of betrayal in their spirit and psyche. This is real filth; this is a dishonorable position that must be rejected.' The Turkish army and its allied Syrian militias have launched an offensive operation named 'Olive Branch' against the Kurdish militia group 'People's Protection Units' (YPG) in northern Syria, focusing on the Kurdish region of Afrin. Ankara considers the YPG to be an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and a terrorist group, declaring its intention to expand operations to all areas controlled by this group. Despite calls from the United States for Turkey to exercise restraint in northern Syria and the European Union's expressed concerns regarding this operation, Turkey has intensified its attacks in recent days. The Turkish government is cracking down on any internal criticism of this operation, and in this context, the Turkish Ministry of Interior announced on Tuesday that 311 individuals, including journalists and various activists critical of this operation, have been arrested on charges of 'promoting terrorism'. Previously, over 170 former ministers, actors, and writers in Turkey signed a letter last week calling for an end to Turkey's war in northern Syria. This letter was sent to all members of the Turkish parliament, including representatives of Erdoğan's ruling party. The Turkish president described the signatories of this letter as 'traitors'. Turkey's military operations in northern Syria have also raised concerns about potential confrontations between the Turkish army and American soldiers stationed in the region. The United States has approximately 2,000 troops in northern Syria, whose role is to train the YPG against the Islamic State (ISIS).