Fincanci was arrested after she made a statement about the allegations of the Turkish military using chemical weapons in its military operations carried out against the PKK in northern Iraq.

Turkish Doctors were investigated on charges of "making propaganda for a terrorist organization" and "insulting the Turkish nation, the State of the Republic of Turkey, the institutions and organs of the state," Turkish papers reported.

In comments to media outlets, Fincanci said she inspected a video ostensibly showing chemical weapons deployment and called for an "effective investigation."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Fincanci of slandering Turkey's armed forces and insulting Turkey "by speaking the language of the terrorist organization [a reference to the PKK]." Erdogan also threatened to change TMA's name and its chief.

Turkish National Public Broadcaster (TRT) reported police finding a "bullet" in Fincanci's home, a remark that led to fiery reactions. The TMA called the "accusation" a silly way to implicate Fincanci, as police found no evidence.

In a televised press conference today, the TMA senior members said, we support Fincanci and ask for necessary procedures to release her. 

As a forensic expert, Fincanci has spent much of her career documenting torture and ill-treatment in the region and is a leading human rights activist in the Republic of Turkey. She has served as president of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey.

Last week, the PKK military wing People's Defence Force (HPG) reported that 17 of its members were killed in Turkish chemical attacks. Reported from the Kurdistan region and some Turkish papers mirrored the PKK statement. Turkish officials called them "propaganda" and a move by those who want to cast a shadow on the Turkish army's accomplishments in its fight against the PKK. 

The earliest known reports of Ankara's chemical use in the Kurdistan region in its fight against the PKK date to 2019. In February 2021, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced recovering bodies of 13 Turkish nationals in the Kurdistan region's Gara area in a military operation code-named Operation Claw Eagle-2. The PKK arrested the captives six years ago, Turkey reported.  Later PKK press office cited the operation's use of chemical weapons as the reason behind the captives' death.