As elections approach, Turkey hopes for change

Dr. Şebnem Korur, President of the Turkish Medical Association, explains the conditions and demands of health workers in the country who have faced repression and difficult working conditions

May 10, 2023 by Peoples Health Dispatch

Turkey will be holding elections for its national parliament and presidency on May 14. Early polls indicate that long-term ruling President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) are, for the first time in the past two decades, facing a tough challenge in both the elections. This is a critical election for the country.

Dr. Şebnem Korur, president of the Turkish Medical Association, spoke to Peoples Dispatch about the mood on the ground. Looking at the health sector and the working conditions of health workers, she talks about the outcome the country’s health workers are hoping to see in these elections.