Health · Healthcare & Policy · 1 day ago
At 60, Turkish lawyer returns to medical school
Yaşar Kadir Türkan, a 60-year-old lawyer in Ankara, has returned to medical school at Hacettepe University.
He first entered the university’s medical faculty years ago but left before completing his studies.
He later graduated from the Turkish Military Academy, served as a military helicopter pilot and worked as a medical representative before studying law.
He became a lawyer after graduating from Ankara University’s law faculty in 1998.
A recent amnesty arrangement allowed him to resume his medical studies in Hacettepe’s Turkish-language program.
His son Emre, who studied medicine at the same university and now works as a resident doctor in Istanbul, put the white coat on him at a ceremony.
A video of the moment attracted wide attention online, with more than eight million views.
Yaşar Kadir Türkan returned to Hacettepe University’s Turkish-language medical program at age 60 after leaving medical school years earlier.
His son, Emre Türkan, who studied medicine at the same university and works as a resident doctor, put the white coat on his father at a ceremony.
Yaşar Kadir Türkan first entered Hacettepe’s medical faculty in 1985, after completing the preparatory year in Middle East Technical University’s petroleum engineering department.
He later graduated from the Turkish Military Academy as a second lieutenant in 1991 and served as an army aviation pilot before leaving military service.
After working as a medical representative, he studied law at Ankara University, graduated in 1998 and became a lawyer.
A video of the white-coat ceremony shared by Emre Türkan drew more than 8 million views, according to Sabah.
- Who
- Yaşar Kadir Türkan, 60, and his son Emre Türkan, 23
- What
- Yaşar Kadir Türkan returned to medical school, and his son put his white coat on him.
- When
- 2026; the exact ceremony date is not stated.
- Where
- Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye
- Why
- Türkan returned to pursue the medical studies he had previously left; he qualified to return under a reinstatement measure.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Ömürlük çekişmemizde Türkçe tıp kazanarak bana mağlup olan Yaşar Kadir Türkan'ı yine de tebrik ederim
Babam 60 yaşında, benden 8 sene sonra Hacettepe Tıp'a başladı.
After completing a preparatory year in petroleum engineering at Middle East Technical University, Yaşar Kadir Türkan entered Hacettepe University’s medical faculty.
Türkan graduated from the Turkish Military Academy as a second lieutenant.
Türkan graduated from Ankara University’s law faculty and began working as a lawyer.
At age 60, Türkan returned to Hacettepe’s medical program, and his son put his white coat on him.
- Age on returning to medical school
- 60
- Year he first entered Hacettepe medical school
- 1985
- Military Academy graduation
- 1991, as a second lieutenant
- Law degree
- Ankara University; graduated in 1998
- Views of the ceremony video
- More than 8 million, according to Sabah
Sources
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