Turkey and its international relations in the history of medicine.

My discussions with ISHM members have disclosed considerable interest in the history of the relations that Turkey and its medicine have had with other countries. Dr Lellouch, the secretary of ISHM, originally suggested that I address the subject of Turkish-French relations by means of an essay in Vesalius. This led me to consider a wider ranging paper on Ottoman-European relations. For completeness, I have briefly covered the Turkish peoples' relations with the Eastern, as well as the Western World. The overall aim of this article is to act as a stimulus for further discussion on the international relations in health sciences between Turks and other peoples.