Politicizing a Complex Appendicitis: Mustafa Necati's Demise and Discussions on Medical Ethics and Professionalism in Early Republican Turkey

Creative Commons License

Rasimoglu C. G.

ASCLEPIO-REVISTA DE HISTORIA DE LA MEDICINA Y DE LA CIENCIA, cilt.77, sa.1, 2025 (AHCI, Scopus) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 77 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.3989/asclepio.2025.1211
  • Dergi Adı: ASCLEPIO-REVISTA DE HISTORIA DE LA MEDICINA Y DE LA CIENCIA
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, Historical Abstracts, Index Islamicus, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Directory of Open Access Journals, DIALNET
  • Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

This article examines the discourse triggered by the unexpected postoperative death of Mustafa Necati, the Minister of Education, in 1929. This incident sparked a questioning of the competence of doctors in Ankara, Turkey's capital city. The ensuing debate found resonance in the prominent newspapers of the era, exposing the disagreements between columnists and medical practitioners. These disagreements, in turn, mirrored significant concerns of the republican elites during the nation-building process. The article places emphasis on two primary aspects illuminated by this discourse: the establishment of the doctors' professional identity based on medical ethics and the elevation of Ankara as an emblem of the new regime, juxtaposed with Istanbul, the former capital of the Ottoman Empire.