Statement from Şebnem Korur Fincancı regarding allegations in the 'Adnan' documentary

After the release of the 'Adnan' documentary, which covers the Adnan Oktar criminal organization, a series of allegations regarding Şebnem Korur Fincancı have become a subject of debate.

In the documentary published by 140journos, it is alleged that organization members applied to Fincancı and that she subsequently prepared torture reports against the police.

Furthermore, it is among the allegations that the report was prepared 5 years after the operation.

According to the report in GazeteDuvar, it is also claimed that Şebnem Korur Fincancı did not speak to the documentary team regarding the allegations. However, Fincancı stated that the documentary team did not reach out to her.

In her statement explaining what torture is, Fincancı announced that she would take legal action regarding the allegations.

"THE DOCUMENTARY(?) IS TRYING TO PORTRAY THE REPORT I PREPARED AS FAKE"

According to the allegations in the second part of the 'Adnan' documentary, which tells the story of the Adnan Oktar criminal organization, members of the Oktar organization escaped the operation conducted in 1999 thanks to a report prepared by Forensic Medicine Specialist Dr. Fincancı.

Fincancı made a statement regarding the allegations against her via her social media account on X.

Reminding that torture is an absolute crime, Dr. Fincancı said, "Who the person being tortured is or what they have done cannot legitimize the crime of torture. However, efforts to legitimize torture and impunity are widely used to ensure the continuation of torture, and all methods are put into operation to make torture visible. The latest series, which appears to have been released as a documentary(?), also attempts to portray the medical evaluation reports I personally prepared as fake with its untruthful rhetoric to legitimize torture. It includes statements that seem to put me in the crosshairs, but ultimately open the door to a very dangerous situation that will lead to harm for those who have been tortured."

Pointing out in her statement that legitimizing torture will harm society, Dr. Fincancı said, "In forensic medicine practices, medical evaluation consists of the history, medical examination, psychological evaluation, tests, and a conclusion that includes the diagnosis after discussing the data collected during these stages. When these stages are not present in initial examinations, an evaluation that expresses the necessity of completing all examination steps by identifying deficiencies is also possible. Research conducted to document torture has enabled the development of diagnostic methods that make it possible to diagnose torture months or even years later. The Istanbul Protocol is also a guide that includes all these stages and methods. Once it is seen as legitimate, all individuals in society face the risk of being tortured. Therefore, human rights defenders fighting against torture strive to make torture visible, independent of and without discrimination regarding who is torturing whom or what is put forward to legitimize it," she stated.

STATEMENT FROM FINCANCI

Stating that those who prepared the documentary did not reach out to her, Dr. Fincancı said, "What should be in a judicial process is not collecting evidence through torture, but conducting the process with a fair trial. In the investigation of an alleged crime, the existence of those who have been tortured and making torture visible does not disrupt the investigation of the crime. On the contrary, when torture, despite being an absolute prohibition, continues, is left unpunished, and when evidence of the crime is not collected through appropriate methods, it leads to the cover-up of that alleged crime as well. Allegations of fake reports are also widely used to devalue these medical documents. I have encountered such allegations for decades, not only in this country but in many countries around the world. Although I have proven in the investigations conducted that all the reports prepared were results based on medical knowledge and research, they did not give up trying every time, and clearly, they will not give up. Although those who prepared the series claim otherwise, unfortunately, they did not reach out to me. There was no request for any statement either," she said.

Announcing that she would initiate the legal process, Fincancı said, "The relevant medical documentation process was prepared with the possibilities of medical science and with the evaluation of opinions from many areas of expertise and relevant tests, as we always do in all of them. Of course, these reports can be discussed in medical environments. If there are new tests, they are evaluated. A scientific publication is discussed according to scientific principles, but it cannot be used to legitimize torture. I would like to share here that I will take legal action regarding this inappropriate process and the smear campaign carried out on social media that also includes the institutions we have worked for," she expressed.

STATEMENT FROM 140JOURNOS

140journos, which published the documentary on YouTube, also made a statement after these messages from Fincancı.

The following was stated in the announcement:

"Hello Ms. Şebnem, the questions were forwarded to you from the addresses below before the documentary was released. Our platform is always open to the responses of the parties regarding the allegations against them. We are re-sending our questions openly below. Your responses will be included in the description and comments section under the documentary. Apart from this, if you would like to use a wide-ranging right of reply in the final episode of the series, our platform is open to you as it is to all parties."

On the other hand, the 140Journos team also shared a screenshot of the email they sent to Şebnem Korur Fincancı.

FINCANCI HAD BEEN ON THE AGENDA BEFORE

Ceyhan Mumcu, the brother of the legendary journalist Uğur Mumcu, who lost his life as a result of an assassination in 1993, had claimed that Turkish Medical Association President Şebnem Korur Fincancı had prepared reports for the suspects of the Mumcu murder without examining them. Ceyhan Mumcu had claimed that the trial was prolonged for this reason.