Academic Says State TV Wanted Her to Say Tap Water Cause Diarrhea in Opposition-Held Capital
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Prof. Dr. Esin Davutoğlu-Şenol, a professor of medicine at Gazi University in Ankara, has claimed that the state-run TRT offered her to say the recent increase in diarrhea cases in the city are caused by municipal water.
Ankara Medical Chamber announced that applications to health institutions for diarrhea and vomiting have increased recently and it observed "mass applications."
It said that it could not able to receive a response from Ankara Provincial Health Directorate and there fore it could not find out if the increase in diarrhea cases are caused by city water.
"Increasing diarrhea cases are not related to water. As expected, an increase always happens in the periods when schools open. Viral enteritis is the most common cause," she said in a series of tweets.
Hayır söylemeyeceğim çünkü ilişkisi yok
— Esin Davutoğlu Şenol (@esenol) September 30, 2019
Amirimiz, hoca söylemeyecekse onu yayına almayın diyor
Yayına çıkıp “sular “ yüzünden ishal arttı diyeceklere buradan çok sözüm olacak
İşiniz zor @mansuryavas06 @ekrem_imamoglu @tuncsoyer https://t.co/nIqiVnywVe
Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş and Ankara Water and Sewage Administration said in separate stetements that claims related to state water are not true.
She said some TV channels called her to receive her opinion and wanted her to say diarrhea cases are related to municipal water. "No, I won't say it because it doesn't have anything to do with it. Our chief says, 'If the professor won't say it, don't put her on air.'"
Davutoğlu-Şenol further said that she wrote the name of the mentioned TV channel but deleted that tweet afterward. She added that channel "feeds on our taxes," implying that it is TRT.
She then mentioned the mayors of the three greatest cities, İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir, and tweeted, "You have a difficult job to do."
TRT: Claims are irrational
TRT released a statement later in the day, accusing Prof. Davutoğlu-Şenol of slander.
It said that the TRT News channel asked the experts about the claims of diarrhea outbreak because of city water but Prof. Davutoğlu-Şener slandered them and made "irrational claims."
"A request or instruction as Ms. Şenol claimed is absolutely out of the question," the TRT said, adding that it will protect its rights on the legal basis.
The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) won the three cities from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the March local elections. TRT has long been criticized by the opposition for "AKP-biased" reporting. (TP/VK)