Turkey arrests medical association members, following Affrin offensive criticism

Police issued arrest warrants for 11 members of the Turkish Medical Association on Tuesday, including its chairman, after the body cricitised Turkey’s military offensive in Affrin, Reuters reported.

Nine are already in custody after search-and-detention operations were carried out.

The warrants and arrests come days after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the Turkish Medical Association (known by its Turkish acronym TBB) “terrorist lovers,” and said the group was “servants of imperialism”.

Turkey’s Health Minister Ahmet Demircan told Hurriyet that TBB had no right to criticise the military operation, saying the health ministry filed a lawsuit to remove its administration.

“[TTB] has made a big mistake. The necessary actions will be taken in accordance with the law,” he added.

The latest arrests are part of a wider government crackdown on dissent – Turkish authorities have arrested more than 300 people for “terror propaganda” since Operation Olive Branch began on 20 January.

TTB’s lawyer, Ziynet Ozcelik, told Reuters it was the first time that arrest warrants were issued against all of the organisation's executive members.