Turkey fines over 100 obstetricians for high C-section rates

Turkey's health ministry has fined more than 100 obstetricians and gynecologists for performing cesarean sections, according to Turkish newspaper BirGün. The doctors have been suspended and must undergo mandatory retraining.

Turkey has the highest rate of cesarean sections among OECD countries. Data from 2023 shows 615 C-sections per 1,000 births, significantly higher than Denmark's rate of about one in five births. Doctors have cited faster procedure times (30 minutes for C-section versus 12 hours for vaginal birth) and reduced risk of legal action for complications as reasons for the high rate.

However, the Turkish government is pushing to change this statistic. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's administration launched the "Family Decade" campaign last year to address declining birth rates and encourage more vaginal births. Political measures include a ban on C-sections at private hospitals unless medically necessary, implemented in April 2025.

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Warnings, have been subjected to disciplinary investigations, have been temporarily suspended and forced to take courses on the background of the high rates of cesarean section

These fines and measures have met resistance from some Turkish health professionals. A regional medical association in Antalya noted that obstetricians have faced "warnings, disciplinary investigations, temporary suspensions, and forced courses." One obstetrician in Sakarya was suspended for six months and required to retake an exam after performing too many C-sections, as reported by Diken news.

Ayşe Gültekingil, a doctor and high-ranking official in the Turkish Medical Association, argues that the fines do not solve the underlying issue. She described the problem as "structural," stating that the high C-section rate reflects broader issues within the Turkish healthcare system.

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The C-section rate in Turkey is over 60 percent. But the birth method reflects various problems in the Turkish health system