Turkish police raided the house of the president of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) in the early hours of Wednesday, detaining her for allegedly “spreading terrorist propaganda,” her lawyer and colleagues said.
The raid and the detention follow an investigation launched last week after Sebnem Korur Fincanci, who has headed the TTB since 2020, said that allegations of the use of chemical gases in Northern Iraq against militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) should be investigated by an independent commission.
Fincanci’s lawyer Meric Eyuboglu said the police had arrived at Fincanci’s house at six a.m. to detain her, although her lawyers had already informed the prosecutor’s office that she would come to testify at any time required. “Instead, we found the police at our door,” she tweeted, reporting that her client was “in good humor and resilient.” Fincanci was sent to Ankara for questioning. “Our colleagues in Ankara are waiting to talk to her,” Eyuboglu said mid-afternoon. “We have not yet managed to talk to the public prosecutor either.”
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.