Over the objections of human rights and medical groups, President Abdullah Gul signed a measure into law on Friday that makes it a crime to administer emergency first aid without government authorization. Critics contend that the law could be used by the police and prosecutors to intimidate and punish doctors and other medical workers for treating protesters wounded in demonstrations against the government, like those in Turkey last year. “Passing a bill that criminalizes emergency care and punishes those who care for injured protesters is part of the Turkish government’s relentless effort to silence any opposing voices,” said Dr. Vincent Iacopino, senior medical adviser at Physicians for Human Rights, one of the groups that had campaigned against the legislation. If convicted, violators could be imprisoned for up to three years and face fines of nearly $1 million.