Turkey’s health ministry has fined more than 100 obstetrician-gynaecologists for performing Caesarean section deliveries, with some doctors suspended from practice and ordered to undergo retraining as the government intensifies efforts to reduce C-section births.
According to a report by AFP, cited by Channels Television, Turkey recorded the highest Caesarean section rate among the 38 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In 2023, about 615 out of every 1,000 live births were delivered by C-section.
Medical professionals say Caesarean procedures are often preferred because they take about 30 minutes compared with up to 12 hours for vaginal deliveries. They also argue the procedure can reduce legal risks arising from complications during childbirth.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has made reducing elective Caesarean deliveries part of its “Decade of the Family” initiative, launched to address the country’s declining birth rate. In April 2025, the government banned elective C-sections in private hospitals unless there was a clear medical reason.
The left-leaning newspaper BirGun reported that more than 100 doctors had been sanctioned, citing figures from medical associations across Turkey. The measures have triggered criticism from healthcare professionals.
The Antalya Chamber of Physicians said affected obstetricians received warnings, faced disciplinary investigations, were temporarily suspended from practising, and were required to attend antenatal training courses because of high Caesarean section rates.
The Diken news website also reported the case of an obstetrician in Sakarya, near Istanbul, who was dismissed from a private hospital at the request of the health ministry. The doctor was suspended for six months, required to complete training at a state hospital, and pass an examination before being allowed to return to practice.
Dr Ayse Gultekingil, a senior official of the Turkish Medical Association, argued that punishing doctors would not address the root causes of Turkey’s high Caesarean delivery rate.
She said the country’s C-section rate exceeded 60 per cent and reflected broader structural challenges within Turkey’s healthcare system rather than the decisions of individual doctors.
