Israel Matzav

More reports of chemical use in Turkey, Turkish doctors arrested for treating patients

Here's a disturbing account of the protests in Istanbul over the weekend. It includes another report of the the use of chemicals by the Turkish authorities against unarmed civilians, and it speaks for itself. Where are Physicians Without Borders and Physicians for Human Rights, which always rush to protest any perceived Israeli fault in Judea, Samaria or Gaza? Do they only care when it's Jews fighting with Muslims, and not when it's Muslims fighting with Muslims? How does that fit in with the Hippocratic Oath? Ooops - never mind. Muslims have a different version of the Hippocratic Oath.

This is from the first link. 

Claudia Roth, co-head of the German Green Party and a member of parliament, was among those in the park. She described the scene to Reuters as “war-like,” adding that “we tried to escape and the police followed us.”

During the clashes, Roth and hundreds of protesters took refuge in the nearby five-star hotel Divan, which houses a makeshift first-aid infirmary that was set up during the initial clashes.
After a tense stand-off between the police and the protesters in the hotel, the riot police sprayed tear gas through the gates in the lobby in order to force the protesters to come out.

Several medical personnel in the infirmary were arrested overnight for not having obtained proper licenses to treat patients, according to the Turkish Medical Association.

It issued an “urgent call” to the World Health Organization and World Medical Association to condemn the arrest of “volunteer physicians.”

In its statement, TMA said that “the police forces are using chemical gases savagely on the unprotected civil masses... Over 11,000 people declared that they have been affected by the gas.”

Appealing to the government to stop the use of excessive force and initiate a prompt investigation into allegations of abuse, TMA claimed that “data shows that the gas bombs were targeting the people.

Many of them [have] injuries of [the] head, face, eyes, thorax and abdomen which could be fatal.”

One of many Istanbul residents affected by heavy tear gas is the author of this report.

Read the whole thing.

Labels: Istanbul, Physicians for Human Rights, Turkey, Turkish spring

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:25 AM