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

Abstract

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.