Turkey’s health ministry has fined more than 100 obstetrician-gynaecologists for performing Caesarean sections, suspended some from duty, and ordered them to undergo training, according to reports.
The action comes as Turkey continues to record the highest rate of C-section births among OECD countries. Latest available data from 2023 showed around 615 Caesarean deliveries per 1,000 live births.
Medical professionals have argued that C-sections save time, reduce legal risk, and offer a sense of safety for doctors and patients. However, the Turkish government has stepped up efforts to promote natural births under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s family policy drive.
Authorities banned non-medically justified C-sections in private healthcare facilities in April 2025.
The latest disciplinary move has triggered criticism from healthcare workers, who say doctors are facing warnings, investigations, suspensions, and mandatory training because of the country’s high C-section rate.
In one reported case, a private hospital doctor near Istanbul was dismissed and later suspended for six months over a high C-section rate.
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