05.11.2026 15:31
The Constitutional Court ruled that the one-month temporary suspension from her profession imposed on Prof. Dr. Canan Karatay due to her statements about vaccines "violated freedom of expression." Emphasizing that the suspension from her profession was an unlawful decision with no legal basis, Karatay said, "They are doing this so that I keep silent about everything and do not speak. Science develops through the clash of mutual ideas; science and knowledge do not develop through silence or by being silenced."
Professor Dr. Canan Karatay, a specialist in Internal Medicine and Cardiology, received a one-month temporary suspension from practice in 2018 due to her remarks about vaccines on a television program she appeared on. The Istanbul Medical Chamber decided to suspend Prof. Dr. Karatay from practice for one month, and the decision was upheld by the High Honor Board of the Turkish Medical Association. After Karatay appealed the decision, the Constitutional Court deemed her punishment for her statements an "interference with freedom of expression" and overturned the decision.
The Constitutional Court (AYM), stating that it had concluded that "the legal basis for the disciplinary penalty imposed due to medical statements and the necessity of the interference were not sufficiently established," ruled that the case be sent to the Ankara 14th Administrative Court for a retrial in order to eliminate the consequences of the violation.
ROCKEFELLER MEDICINE REMARK
Professor Dr. Canan Karatay, a specialist in Internal Medicine and Cardiology, stated that the suspension decision was unlawful and said she stood behind her views on vaccines. Arguing that medicine should not proceed according to a fixed mold, Prof. Dr. Karatay made the following statements:
"It was an unlawful practice anyway. After a speech I gave in 2018, the Istanbul Medical Chamber and the administrative court imposed a one-month suspension from practice. Of course, such a thing did not happen; we appealed these, and finally, after 8 years, a decision came from the High Court saying that such a penalty cannot be imposed. It said, 'This is an unlawful judgment; Karatay's statement is free; there is freedom of expression.' Because it has no legal basis and is a wrong decision. Therefore, it sent it back to the 14th Administrative Court again, saying, 'Take this and review it again.' Because I had stated that some vaccines are unnecessary, and I still hold the same view. I had said that they are dangerous. As a physician and academic of 60 years, I expressed my opinion freely. Unfortunately, those who practice 'Rockefeller medicine' and those who consider only its recommendations as medicine always attack me in this way. But they never won; I always won. All the cases are still ongoing; I have 135 cases. I expressed what I thought, but because Rockefeller medicine insists that it must be applied, I am accused by their servants. Because in the period when we studied, there was no such thing as 'these must absolutely be done, and doing anything else is wrong.'"
"EVERYONE DOES NOT HAVE TO AGREE"
Prof. Dr. Karatay, who said she believed science would develop through the conflict of different ideas, stated that medicine had now become a 'trade.' Karatay said, "Everyone's opinion is different and must be different. Science develops by conflicting with different ideas. They do not put forward any argument against what I say; they just want me to be silent, they want me not to speak. Why? Because medicine has now become a trade. They serve that trade, and they said it quite plainly: 'Don't let her speak; when she speaks, our sales drop by 30 percent.' Because medicine is now a trade. Medicine is actually, as Aristotle also said, a sacred art, and its object is a living human being. That is how we were trained, and because I practice it, they may not accept an argument against my opinion. Everyone does not have to agree. I expect them to put forward an argument and another idea against it. They struggle to make sure she does not speak and silence me. The High Court also said, 'Such unlawfulness cannot exist; Karatay is entitled, under Article 26 of the Constitution, to express her opinion clearly; this is a violation of rights.' They do everything so that I stay silent and do not speak. Science develops through the clash of mutual ideas; science and knowledge do not develop through silence or being silenced," she said.