Turkey's anti-vaxxers found new political party

Turkish anti-vaxxers have applied to the Interior Ministry to establish a new political party under the name of “Party of Life without Impositions.” Apart from the COVID-19 vaccine, the party is also against the use of face masks and the administration of PCR tests.

Monday November 15 2021 09:51 pm

This photo shows people attending an anti-vaccination rally in Istanbul.

Duvar English

Turkey's anti-vaxxers have founded a new political party under the name of “Party for Life without Impositions.”

The party's chairman Haci Ali Özhan filed the notification of establishment to the Interior Ministry and told reporters: “Our party does not stand against any party; this is outside politics. Everyone from any party can be its member.”

Özhan had previously said that the party is “against coercive interventions and impositions done against the unity of people's body.”

“We are against plans that aim to create robotized slave people by setting up a chip-monitoring system with chemical fluids. We are against vaccine or PCR test requirements brought for exit and entry for abroad travels. We are objecting to mask imposition,” he had said.

The anti-vaccination movement in Turkey has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic and has held large protests in major cities, including in Istanbul under the name of the “Great Awakening Rally.”

Political parties can be established by at least thirty Turkish citizens who are eligible to become members of a political party.

Once the relevant political party submits its notification of establishment and required documents to the Interior Ministry, the ministry issues a certificate of receipt.

Meanwhile, according to the figures released by the Health Ministry on Nov. 15, Turkey has so far administered over 118.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

More than 56.86 million people have been given a first vaccine dose and over 49.7 million have been fully vaccinated, the Health Ministry said.

Turkey has also given third booster shots to over 11.68 million people.

The ministry recorded 23,852 new coronavirus cases and 215 deaths from the virus.