'If they are leaving, let them go; don't worry, these places won't remain empty,' he had said

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had made a statement in March 2022 regarding physicians who go abroad to work. Erdoğan had said: "Sir, they say doctors are leaving because they earn little money. I asked, what is the minimum they earn? 8,000-9,000. What is the maximum they earn? Around 25,000. Look, I am speaking clearly. If they are leaving, let them go; don't worry, these places won't remain empty. We will employ our doctors who have just graduated from universities here, and we will continue on this path with them."

Following Erdoğan's controversial remarks, İYİ Party MP Turhan Çömez, who was once President Erdoğan's own doctor, had announced the number of doctors who had gone abroad. Çömez had stated that the number of physicians who had gone abroad had reached 15,000 and that medical students were also dreaming of going abroad.

So, what is the latest situation regarding doctors going abroad?

Turhan Çömez announced the current figures regarding doctors who have gone abroad. Çömez's statement is as follows:

“According to the official figures we have received, as of May 22, 2024, the number of licensed Turkish doctors in the United Kingdom is 1,003. There are just as many preparing for exams. For Germany, one needs to multiply these figures by 5. When we take other countries into account, by the end of 2025, the number of Turkish doctors who have gone abroad will exceed 25,000. Should we still say 'let them go'?”

Here is the document published by Turhan Çömez: