Suspended from profession over sexist remarks, physician back on duty

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Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Ankara MP Murat Emir has announced that physician Ali Edizer has been back on duty.

After he posted that he was "struggling against" the Civil Code and urged men to "take second wives", Ali Edizer, the former deputy chief physician of the University of Health Sciences (SBÜ) Gülhane Training and Research Hospital (former GATA), was suspended from profession.

According to CHP's Murat Emir, the physician has started working at another public hospital, the Güdül Public Hospital.

Emir has said, "The Ministry of Health launched an investigation against Edizer, who targeted secularism and civil code. How can this lunatic of the GATA be possibly back on the job? So, apparently, this investigation was just for the show. Does the Health Minister protect this person?"

According to Emir, Edizer started working again on March 9, 2021.

'Investigation was apparently for the show'

CHP's Murat Emir has also addressed a Parliamentary question to Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca about this issue.

"While the ministers are now expected to take up an attitude that would hinder [religious] communitarian structures, this recent development regarding Edizer manifests that the [Justice and Development Party] AKP government is far from this expected attitude," Emir has said.

Underlining that "the public has not been informed about the result of the investigation launched against Edizer", the MP has reiterated that "the investigation was launched for the show, considering that Edizer has been back on the job and got no punishment" for his remarks.

Murat Emir has asked the Minister the following questions:

Does the Minister of Health protect this person, the lunatic of GATA? Has the investigation launched against Ali Edizer, who targeted secularism and the civil code, been closed? If yes, what is its result? 

How could Ali Edizer, who defended sharia in his social media posts, start working at the Güdül Public Hospital?

What happened?

University of Health Sciences (SBÜ) Gülhane Training and Research Hospital (former GATA) Deputy Chief Physician Ali Edizer made a statement on social media and shared his views about Turkey's Civil Code as well as the principle and practice of monogamy stipulated by the law.

Indicating that "yet another marriage shattered due to cheating," Edizer alleged that "a man could get a second spouse as Islam allowed it."

Ali Edizer's remarks caused public outrage. In response to this outrage, he made another statement and defended what he had said.

Among the ones who denounced his remarks were politicians, journalists and lawyers. Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) MP Özgür Özel shared a message about the issue on his social media account and said that "he informed Health Minister Fahrettin Koca about the disturbance of both his party and the general public in the face of Edizer's remarks."

Noting that Minister Koca also expressed his unease about the statement of Edizer, Özgür Özel stated that the Minister said the necessary would be done about the issue. "We will follow it up," Özel stressed.

Shortly afterward, it was announced that Dr. Ali Edizer was dismissed from his duty over his remarks. (TP/SD)