Response from Fincancı about allegations

2024-02-12 16:53:02


	NEWS CENTER - TTB President Şebnem Korur Fincancı, who was accused of 'preparing a fake torture report' in the second part of the documentary "Adnan", which deals with the Adnan Oktar criminal organization, reminded that legitimizing torture is dangerous for everyone and stated that she would take legal action.

	 

	Turkish Medical Association (TTB) President Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı was subjected to a smear campaign after the second episode of the documentary "Adnan", prepared by 140journos and dealing with the Adnan Oktar criminal organization, was published on February 10. It was claimed that Fincancı, a forensic medicine expert, "prepared a fake torture report" on behalf of the members of the organization. This claim was made by Özkan Mamati, a former member of the organization who appeared in the documentary published on YouTube.

	 

	Fincancı responded to this accusation on her X account as follows:

	 

	“Torture is an act of violence committed by public officials deliberately, for the purpose of intimidation. Since the perpetrator is a public official, it is an absolutely prohibited crime that states are responsible for preventing, not enforcing and not leaving unpunished. Who the tortured person is or what did cannot legitimize the crime of torture. However, efforts to legitimize torture and impunity are widely used to continue torture and all methods are used to devalue efforts to make torture visible.

	 

	'THE MEDICAL EVALUATION REPORTS ARE TRYING TO PRESENT AS FAKE'

	 

	The last series, which appears to have been broadcast as a documentary(?), also tries to portray the medical evaluation reports I personally prepared as fake, with its untruthful rhetoric, to legitimize torture.

	It includes statements that pretend to target me, but ultimately open the door to a very dangerous situation and cause harm to those being tortured.

	 

	'IT SERVES TO LEGITIMATE TORTURE'

	 

	…Legitimizing torture is an attempt that will harm society. Once deemed legitimate, all members of society are at risk of being tortured.

	 

	For this reason, human rights defenders who fight against torture strive to make torture visible, regardless of who tortures whom and what is put forward to justify it. What should be done in a trial process is not to collect evidence through torture, but to conduct the process through a fair trial. 

	 

	'I HAVE FACED THESE KIND OF CLAIMS FOR DECADES'

	 

	The presence of torture victims and making torture visible during the investigation of a crime allegation does not hinder the investigation of the crime. On the contrary, when the practice of torture continues despite being absolutely prohibited, when it is left unpunished and when evidence of the crime is not collected by appropriate methods, it leads to the alleged crime being covered up. False reports claims are also commonly used to devalue these medical documents. I have encountered such allegations for decades, not only in this country, but also in many countries around the world. Even though I have proven that all the reports prepared in the investigations are results based on medical knowledge and research, they have not given up trying every time, and obviously they will not give up.

	 

	Even though the creators of the series claimed that it was, unfortunately they did not reach me. There was no request for an explanation. As we always apply in the entire medical documentation process, it has been prepared with the possibilities of medical science and the evaluation of opinions and relevant examinations from many fields of expertise.

	 

	'I WILL TAKE LEGAL ACTIONS'

	 

	Of course, these reports can be discussed in medical settings. If there are new tests, they are evaluated. The discussion of a scientific publication is based on scientific principles but cannot be used to legitimize torture. Let me also share here that I will take legal action regarding this inappropriate process and the smear campaign carried out on virtual media, including the institutions we work for."

	 

	THEY SUPPORTED FİNCANCI

	 

	TTB President Fincancı, who defended herself with these words, received support from many quarters such as Academics for Peace, Saturday Mothers. 

	 

	 

	140journos team stated that they tried to reach Fincancı before the release of the documentary, but did not receive a response. They could share the e-mail on this subject and answer the questions.

	 

	Speaking to Gazete Duvar, Fincancı reminded that she may not have seen the e-mail due to busyness, but she is usually reachable when called by phone.

	 

	These were the answers she gave to the questions posed to him. Explaining that the members of the organization applied to the Istanbul Medical Faculty Forensic Medicine Polyclinic in 2006, Fincancı said: “This polyclinic was established in 1999 for individual applications. In the light of the idea that medical evaluations made by official experts are incomplete, erroneous or biased, to institutionalize independent alternative evaluation by considering the practices in the world, the evaluations previously made by the Medical Chambers and the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey were used as a second method to investigate the alleged harms suffered by people, which are not limited to torture. It was an effort that would provide rights and expand them to areas such as violence against women, child abuse, etc. Therefore, it is a mechanism open to all applications requesting an evaluation in this direction.”

	 

	Stating that the allegations of torture cannot be ignored, Fincancı said: "This approach serves to put pressure on my colleagues who perform detention examinations every day and the physicians working in emergency departments."

	 

	'THE STATEMENTS THAT LEGITIMATE TORTURE ARE A DANGER'

	 

	Stating that the process regarding this application was similar to other applications, Fincancı said: “I wish these reports and medical evaluations were found in the judiciary as claimed, but no. People may commit horrific crimes, but unfortunately these crimes remain unpunished if an effective investigation is not carried out and evidence is not collected. For this reason, statements that legitimize torture are very dangerous for all of us."