“With this new law, a doctor will face to risk the criminal penalty of up to three years in jail, like those deliberately injuring a person, while taking care of someone requiring urgent medical attention outside the hospital,” Dr. Filiz Unal Incekara, Turkish Medical Association (TTB) board member, told Al-Monitor. “The land of the law now — in brief – criminalizes doctors’ Hippocratic oath, and the principles embraced in the Universal Human Rights Declaration that prioritize saving lives before anything else. That cannot be acceptable!”
This new law is part of an omnibus bill composed of 56 articles approved by parliament this month. This specific legislation compels doctors and health professionals to apply for official permission before they may administer emergency first aid. Without that authorization, the medical personnel could face one to three years in prison and fines of up to $1 million for breaking the law.