The president of the Turkish Medical Association has been arrested in Turkey after she called for an investigation into allegations that the Turkish military used chemical weapons against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq, Turkish media reported.

Dr. Sebnem Korur Fincanci was detained on charges of spreading terrorist propaganda as part of an investigation launched by the anti-terrorism police, the Ankara Prosecutor General's Office said.

The 63-year-old woman, a forensic scientist, has devoted much of her career to documenting torture and ill-treatment and is a leading human rights activist in Turkey. She has also served as president of the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights.

The Turkish newspaper Birgun and other media reported that she was detained in Istanbul after a search of her home and taken to Ankara, where the main prosecutor's office opened an investigation against her last week.

Last week, Turkish officials strongly denied allegations that the Turkish military used chemical weapons against the Kurdistan Workers' Party in northern Iraq, insisting that the military allegedly has no such weapons.

In a comment to a pro-Kurdish news outlet, Dr. Finčanci said she had viewed a video allegedly showing the use of chemical weapons and called for an effective investigation.

After the interview, Fincanci was targeted by pro-government media, leading to a judicial investigation on the grounds of spreading terrorist propaganda and insulting the Turkish people, the state of the Republic of Turkey and its institutions.

The Turkish Foundation for Human Rights (TIHV), of which FinCanci is also a board member, condemned the arrest as unacceptable and called for her immediate release.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused her of slandering the Turkish Armed Forces and insulting her country.

Devlet Bahceli, leader of the ultra-nationalist MHP party affiliated with Erdoğan's ruling party, also sharply criticized Dr. Finčanci in a speech Tuesday.

Those who act as representatives of terrorists are also pure terrorists. Those who pour mud on Turkish soldiers, speaking in the mouths of traitors, should be stripped of their Turkish citizenship, he said.

The doctor's detention comes a day after police raided several Turkish cities and arrested 11 journalists working with pro-Kurdish media.

Police said the journalists were detained for news or other content inciting public hatred and hostility, and accused the media of having links to the PKK.