Turkish medic denied visa to attend Canadian congress

KOCAELİ

A prominent Turkish physician has been denied a visa to attend an international medical congress in Canada, leaving him disappointed and unable to fulfill his roles at the event.

Cüneyd Özkürkçügil, head of Kocaeli University's urology department, was invited to participate in the scientific congress scheduled to be held in Canada and had applied for a visa to attend the event. However, after more than three months of waiting, his visa request was not approved, resulting in his removal from all programs and duties associated with the congress.

Expressing his frustration on his social media account, Özkürkçügil, who was the second physician from Türkiye to be elected to the International Continence Society's (ICS) Developing World Committee, lamented the situation.

"While I had the honor of representing my country and the city I live in with multiple duties at the international medical congress on the 100th anniversary of our republic, I informed the congress secretariat that I could not fulfill these duties due to a Canadian visa that was not approved for more than three months," he wrote.

Furthermore, Özkürkçügil emphasized that all expenses, including flight tickets and hotel accommodations, had gone to waste. "I am very sorry for the situation that my country has been put into, and may God not grant me death before I see an answer to this treatment that we do not deserve."