Dr. Mehmet Haberal
Dr. Mehmet Haberal, an internationally respected transplant surgeon and rector of Bashkent University, and Dr. Ferit Bernay, a medical doctor and former rector of 19 Mayis University, are among 194 people who are on trial for allegedly attempting to overthrow the democratically elected government by violence — serious charges that could lead to several life sentences In addition, 10 other academics and physicians are on trial.
Drs. Haberal, Bernay, and the others are well-known by the Turkish medical community and are not known to have ever advocated or practiced any kind of violence. They are being tried in a mass trial of 108 persons Such mass trials violate the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Turkey is a party.
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We urged the Turkish authorities to grant these defendants individual trials so that they can defend against these charges.
Dr. Bernay and several others were released on bail pending trial for health reasons. Dr. Haberal, however, remains in custody after five months, despite the diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmia, severe anxiety and depression. We requested that he be released for health reasons pending the outcome of his trial.
Other doctors and academics on trial:
- former Uluda? University Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yurtkuran
- former ?nönü University Rector Prof. Dr. Fatih Hilmio?lu, medical doctor
- Van Yüzüncü Y?l
- University Prof. Dr. Ay?e Yüksel
- former Academic Staff Prof. Dr. Erol Manisal?
- Hamdi Gökhan Ecevit
- Ömer Sadun Oky?lt?r?k
- former rector of Istanbul University, Kemal Alemdaroglu, a surgeon
- Cihan Demirci, a biologist, who is a professor in the departments of biology and zoology at Istanbul University’s Faculty of Science
- Emin Gürses, an associate professor of political science at Sakarya University
- Kemal Gürüz, a professor, who is former president of the Turkish Council of Higher Education and the Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Council; released pending trial
- Erol Manisali, an economist, who is professor emeritus at Istanbul University, former publisher of the monthly Middle East Business and Banking, and former director of the European and Middle East Research Center; released pending trial for health reasons; suffers from cancer
- Osman Metin Öztük, a political scientist, who is rector of Giresun University; released pending trial
- Ümit Say?n, a neurologist who is associate professor of forensic medicine at Istanbul University
- Ay?e Yüksel, a professor at Van Yüzüncü Yil University’s School of Medicine, who is a former vice president of the university; released pending trial
- Mustafa Yurtkuran, a medical doctor, who is a former rector of Uluda? University