14.03.2026 21:00
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at the iftar program organized for March 14th Medical Day. While stating, "Today we are witnessing scenes of brutality where human life is disregarded in the world," he added, "Turkey is at the forefront of countries seeking solutions to crises through diplomacy in the region."
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made important statements at the iftar program held on the occasion of March 14 Medical Day.
President Erdoğan, while celebrating Medical Day for all healthcare workers, stated, "Some professions are professions of service, while others are professions of sacrifice. Our healthcare army has a character that sacrifices their time with their families when necessary, working with a very high tempo and dedication for our nation. Our healthcare system is stronger and more resilient today than ever before. Our healthcare system has successfully navigated all the challenging processes from the Covid-19 pandemic to the earthquakes on February 6," he said.
"TURKEY IS SEEKING SOLUTIONS TO THE CRISIS"
Speaking about the war that began with the attacks of the USA and Israel on Iran, Erdoğan said, "Today, we are witnessing scenes of brutality where human life is disregarded, where babies in cradles and incubators are slaughtered, and where children sent to school lose their lives to bombs."
Erdoğan also stated, "We have seen that healthcare workers, along with women and children, are ruthlessly martyred in Gaza. A bloodthirsty network continues to strike schools and hospitals in Iran and Lebanon, just as it does in Gaza. In the face of this madness, Turkey is at the forefront of countries that advocate for reason and seek solutions to crises through diplomacy. We will maintain our humanitarian stance, which looks at issues not from the perspective of the value of oil, gold, or natural gas, but from the perspective of rights, justice, compassion, and human dignity," he expressed.
"WE HAVE NO TOLERANCE FOR VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS"
Highlights from President Erdoğan's statements are as follows: "It is futile to explain anything to those who are indifferent and unconcerned about the successes of their own country and nation. We have never paid attention to them, and we do not take them into account today.
In 2002, we had 379,000 healthcare workers, and this number has increased to 1 million with an approximately 4-fold increase. Just last year, we made 75,255 personnel appointments. In the last 23 years, we have either renovated or rebuilt 80% of our existing hospitals. The total number of beds in our entire healthcare system has exceeded 270,000.
We have put into service 27 city hospitals with a total of 39,367 beds. The construction of 11 city hospitals with 14,153 beds is still ongoing. We have come from times when there was extortion for surgery fees and when the injured were struggling for their lives on the streets. We have no tolerance for violence in schools and hospitals. We are taking and will take the necessary measures regarding these heinous incidents."