World Medical Association: Turkish Medical Association's disciplinary authority suspended due to legal gap, 1,700 cases pending

The World Medical Association (WMA) issued a warning on October 28 regarding medical professional independence in Turkey, citing a legal gap that has effectively suspended the Turkish Medical Association's (TTB) disciplinary authority and the detention of forensic medicine experts in the investigation into Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu's helicopter crash; the TTB announced the Turkish translation of this warning on October 30.

WMA President Dr. JP Park stated in his statement: "Professional autonomy and medical independence are fundamental elements of healthcare delivery, public trust, and the integrity of the medical profession." Park emphasized that physicians must be able to make professional decisions, fulfill their ethical obligations, and express their scientific opinions without fear of intimidation, external interference, or disproportionate legal sanctions.

The background of the legal gap is as follows: The Constitutional Court annulled Article 39 of Law No. 6023 on the TTB; the ruling was published in the Official Gazette. Parliament was given nine months to enact new regulations; the legislature failed to pass the necessary law within this timeframe, and Article 39 lapsed on January 29, 2026.

According to data released by the TTB Central Council and High Disciplinary Board on October 9, approximately 1,700 cases remain pending as of September 1 despite their investigations being completed but not concluded. Among these cases are patient complaints, Health Ministry and Social Security Institution inspections, medical practice errors, and applications related to what is publicly known as the "newborn scandal." The TTB noted that some cases face the risk of expiration by statute of limitations.

The WMA's second warning concerns the investigation into the helicopter crash in which Great Unity Party Founder and General Chairman Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu and those accompanying him died in 2009. Within the scope of the investigation conducted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, 36 people were detained in September.

The TTB announced that it shared a draft of the new legal regulation with the Health Ministry and political party representatives in Parliament, but the regulation has not yet become law.