Ankara orders detention of 11 senior doctors over criticism of offensive in Syria

30 Jan, 2018 07:56 / Updated 6 years ago

A Turkish prosecutor ordered the detention of the head of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) and 10 other leaders of the doctors’ union on Tuesday, Reuters said. The body denounced the cross-border military operation into Afrin, northern Syria, last week, saying “No to war, peace immediately.” TTB head Rasit Tukel and other members of the board were detained, according to opposition CHP lawmaker Ali Seker. The prosecutor said police in Ankara started legal proceedings on Tuesday morning and search-and-detention operations were going on in eight provinces. Turkish authorities have cracked down on any expression of dissent over the air-and-ground offensive against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia in Syria’s Afrin region. More than 300 people have been detained for social media posts criticizing the campaign since it began 10 days ago.