TUSAŞ Engine Industry (TEI) General Manager Prof. Dr. Mahmut Faruk Akşit’s words that genetic research could be used for military purposes sparked a new debate. Claiming that stem cells taken from Türkiye were taken abroad, Akşit argued that the genetic characteristics of the Turkish nation were mapped and based on this information, weapons that could target only certain communities could be developed. While Akşit’s statement brought the risks that biotechnology may pose in the fields of defense and security to the agenda again, it also reminded us of the Oktar Babuna incident that took place in Türkiye’s recent history.
160 THOUSAND PEOPLE GAVE BLOOD
Türkiye gave great support to the large-scale bone marrow donor search campaign launched in 1999 for leukemia patient Oktar Babuna. Babuna’s father, Prof. Dr. In the campaign led by Cevat Babuna, blood samples were collected from approximately 160 thousand people. Approximately 120 thousand of the samples were sent to laboratories in the USA and Germany for testing. According to official statements of the period, 105 thousand samples were examined in the USA and 15 thousand samples in Germany.. However, as the campaign progressed, the questions under what conditions the samples were stored, with whom the genetic information was shared, and why the results were not delivered to Türkiye created controversy.
MINISTER’S GENETIC CODE WARNING
One of the people who reacted most harshly to the sending of blood samples abroad was the then Minister of Health, Osman Durmuş. Durmuş, the MHP Minister of the period, He argued that the genetic information of the Turkish society falling into the hands of foreign laboratories could pose a risk to national security. In his statement years later, Durmuş stated that the samples collected within the scope of the campaign were sent to a laboratory in the USA and that he made attempts to bring the results and samples to Türkiye. Durmuş also stated that the laboratory in the USA demanded 3.4 million dollars in exchange for sharing the results and handling the samples, but these demands were not accepted. Durmuş also stated that he warned the authorities of the time that genetic research could be used in biological warfare in the future.
THREAT TO THE MINISTER THROUGH HIS FAMILY
One of the most striking details of the incident emerged years later. Osman Durmuş brought up that he faced pressure from Adnan Oktar’s armed criminal organization when he opposed the ‘Babuna campaign’. Durmuş also claimed that he was threatened through his family. Durmuş’s statements were not limited to allegations of threats against his family. Former Minister Durmuş claimed that some people belonging to the Adnan Oktar armed criminal organization were wandering around the backstage of the Turkish Grand National Assembly with the help of a minister and taking images.
“STRATEGIC SECURITY ISSUE”
Geostrategist-Researcher Dr. Ahmet Uslu, on the other hand, drew attention to the risks of data obtained from genetic research in terms of national security and made the following assessment: “Genetic data is now one of the most strategic elements not only of the medical world, but also of the global power struggle. There are approximately 3 billion DNA base pairs in the human genome. By analyzing these data, extremely sensitive information can be obtained about the genetic characteristics of societies, their susceptibility to certain diseases and biological differences. This information falling into the hands of malicious actors brings the risk of being used in biological weapons research. The real danger is who controls the genetic data banks and Failure to adequately control the purposes for which this information is used. Türkiye needs to consider genetic data as a strategic security issue, not as ordinary health information.”
