The lights went out and the curtains were closed as senior students at Konya University in Turkey took the Hippocratic Oath. Their dean has modified the original text. It was the new version of the phobia, according to the medical students, with many of them refusing to take the modified oath.
The dean had already warned the students that if they opposed the new version of the department, there would be consequences. However, during their graduation, the students took the original version of the Hippocratic Oath. While they were doing that, the lights went out. However, he did not stop the students. They also swear their oath on the light of the flashlight function of their smartphone, which can be seen in the pictures. Their families and friends welcomed the support.
The original text reads, “I will not discriminate on the basis of age, disease, disability, religion, race, gender, nationality, political opinion, race, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic.” This was modified by the Dean to: “I will not discriminate on the basis of religion, nationality, race and difference of opinion.” Students found that “sexual orientation” was removed from the new version as discrimination against people from the LGBTI+ community.
The Turkish Medical Association replied: We are proud of your young colleagues. Despite pressure to read a new edition, you stuck to the universal values of medicine. Welcome aboard.’
Earlier this year, in June, the same thing happened at Istanbul University. There, too, the students continued to use the light from their smartphones. And last year, Sakarya University also made the same change in the Hippocratic Oath.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex rights have been under pressure in Turkey for several years. At the end of June, more than 150 people were arrested during a pride rally in Istanbul, which has been banned since 2014.
