Turkish doctors on strike after cardiologist killed with gun inside hospital

Protesters took to the streets in several Turkish towns Thursday to call for more action to prevent violence.

The strike comes a day after cardiologist Dr Ekrem Karakaya was shot dead in a hospital in the central city of Konya on Wednesday.

Karakaya was reportedly killed by a man who blamed him for his mother's death. The gunman is also believed to have shot the doctor's secretary before killing himself.

In Istanbul, police used tear gas and pepper gas to disperse health care workers who tried to march towards the local health authority office to denounce the attack.

Protests in Konya came amid increased attacks on health professionals in Turkey, mainly by patients or their relatives. At least 316 health - care workers were victims of violence in 2021, according to the Health and Social Workers' Union, Saglik-Sen.

Many health professionals are leaving Turkey in hopes of finding better working conditions and quality of life, according to the Turkish Medical Association. /Euronews