ANKARA - A group of health workers from Ankara City Hospital applauded in protest for their employee personal rights. Police intervened into the protest, detaining several health workers. Turkish Medical Association has demanded their immediate release.

Working at the Ankara City Hospital in the capital city, healthcare workers from seven occupational organizations held a protest for their employee personal rights today (January 22). While health workers were applauding in protest, police officers intervened into their protest.

In a social media message shared by the Ankara Medical Chamber, it has been announced that several health workers, including Ankara Medical Chamber Chair Dr. Ali Karakoç and Executive Board Member Dr. Ayşe Uğurlu, Health and Social Service Laborers' Union (SES) Ankara Branch Co-Chairs and Progressive Healthcare Workers Union (Dev Sağlık-İş) members have been detained in the police intervention.

STATEMENT OF THE TURKISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

Releasing a written statement about the police intervention and the detention of health workers, the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) has underlined that they were detained while using their Constitutional rights: "We, as the Turkish Medical Association, demand the immediate release of our colleagues and health workers who used their Constitutional rights."

"It is our responsibility and Constitutional right to lay claim to our labor and to say that we do not want to lose any more fellow health workers; this right of ours cannot be prevented," the TTB has stressed.

Expressing its determination to to tell the truths and to voice the demands of health workers, which have been disregarded during the pandemic, the TTB has reiterated its call for the immediate release of all detained health workers, including Ankara Medical Chamber Chair Karakoç.