How is “Assisted Suicide” Implemented? Is it Legal in Turkey?

Euthanasia, which means “beautiful (good) death” in ancient Greek, refers to the death of a person suffering from a medically incurable disease. put an end to unbearable pain It means killing with a controlled mechanism in your name. This concept, shaped by ancient philosophers and religions, is implemented today in three different ways, depending on the laws of the country.

In assisted suicide, which has become legal after active and passive euthanasia; The doctor prescribes a drug that will cause the person’s death, but the patient ends his life by taking this drug himself, without the intervention of medical personnel. Its practice is considered a crime in Turkey These methods are available in organizations that provide assisted suicide services. SwitzerlandDemanding and realizing it by going to brings the phenomenon of suicide tourism to the agenda.

Where does this legal killing date back to?

As in many fields, philosophy makes many criticisms and contributions to the concept of euthanasia and shapes the history of this concept. Ancient thinkers Plato Although he argues that the soul is immortal, he asks why it is prevented if the person’s death is good for him/her.

On the one hand In his book Laws, ‘rational suicide’ While evaluating the concept, he also claims that he finds euthanasia necessary to end untreatable diseases and disabilities.

thinker of the same period AristotleWhile arguing that the citizen is obliged to produce for the state and cannot avoid living in this sense, he finds it justified that killing children born with disabilities (infanticide) is legal. Hippocrates By that time, the euthanasia ban included in the oath was accepted as evidence that euthanasia was not practiced in ancient times.

in ancient rome SenecaWith the belief that suicide is a form of freedom “If I choose the ship I will board and the house I will live in, I must also choose my death.” He kills himself by saying. opened during the Roman period hospice Most of the guesthouses where palliative care is provided to patients in the terminal stage are closed by religious organizations, and with the rise of Christianity, the concept of euthanasia is moved away.

After the Reformation and Renaissance movements In the New Age The phenomenon of euthanasia is on the agenda again and was discussed controversially until the 20th century, when efforts began to legalize euthanasia.

After the 1970s, Euthanasia Societies were established in many countries. Founded by euthanasia supporters “Hemlock Society”, He works to legalize euthanasia, and ultimately, at the meeting held in Rome in 1992 with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Medical Associations, it was accepted that patients who cannot be treated have the right to die with dignity.

Are euthanasia and assisted suicide the same concepts?

Euthanasia; hasten death, It is the administration of medication or treatment by a physician with the purpose of knowingly ending a life to relieve suffering. The physician usually accomplishes this by administering a lethal injection or removing the patient from life support.

Whatever the action, the defining feature of euthanasia is that the physician, not the patient, performs the final act of ending life; There are two types of euthanasia: passive and active euthanasia.

Assisted suicide is when the physician provides information or information to the patient about ways to commit suicide in order to take action that will facilitate the patient’s death. providing the means to commit suicide It is the situation where a person’s life is ended without needing any other help.

Assisted suicide is a Voluntary use by the patient of lethal drugs prescribed by the physician to enable the patient to end his own life It is used to describe the end of life through.

Although many people believe that these terms are synonymous, it is thought that a definition that focuses on what led to the patient’s death would be more accurate. As can be understood from the word suicide, The person who ends his life as a result of assisted suicide is the patient himself.. Assisted suicide involves prescribing a drug that enables the patient to commit suicide; sodium pentobarbital is the most common drug used in this field.

Assisted suicide is now a tourism issue.

Even though it is far from the conventional tourism industry and the concept of tourists, there are many patients who prefer assisted suicide, which is illegal in their own country, in order to end their suffering. There are many people who travel to countries that can provide them with professional advice and services on this issue. The most prominent of these countries is Switzerland.

Dignitas, which offers this service in Switzerland, ‘live with dignity, die with dignity’ It is an association established in accordance with Swiss laws, with the slogan: It is stated that the organization does not pursue any commercial interests and exists only to ensure an honorable death for its members.

On September 26, 2005, a similar clinic was established in Hannover with the support of German entrepreneurs to follow the practices of Dignitas, and today, these two associations It has more than 7100 members from 69 different countries.

Let’s make two movie suggestions on the subject: The first is a local production: Something Useful.

The other one is the movie Doctor Death, starring Al Pacino and based on a true story:

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