ANKARA, July 11 — More than 100 obstetrician-gynaecologists in Turkey have been fined, suspended and ordered to undergo training over high rates of Caesarean sections, according to local media.
Turkey has the highest rate of C-section births among the OECD’s 38 member countries, with around 615 procedures recorded for every 1,000 live births in 2023.
Medical professionals have argued that C-sections are often chosen because they are faster to perform and can reduce the risk of legal disputes over complications.
The crackdown comes as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government pushes its “Decade of the Family” initiative to address falling birth rates and encourage what it calls more natural births.
In April 2025, Turkey banned elective C-sections at private healthcare facilities unless there was a medical reason for the procedure.
According to BirGun newspaper, more than 100 doctors have since been penalised for performing C-sections, based on figures from medical associations across the country.
The Antalya Chamber of Physicians said some obstetricians had been “issued with warnings, subjected to disciplinary investigations, temporarily suspended from practising, and compelled to attend antenatal training courses, on the grounds of high caesarean section rates across the country”.
One case highlighted by Turkish media involved an obstetrician at a private hospital near Istanbul who was dismissed at the health ministry’s request after recording a high C-section rate.
The doctor was later suspended for six months and required to undergo training at a state hospital before taking an examination to return to medical practice.
Dr Ayse Gultekingil, a senior official at the Turkish Medical Association, said punishing doctors would not address the country’s unusually high C-section rate.
“Turkey’s caesarean birth rate exceeds 60 percent. But the method of delivery reflects various problems within Turkey’s healthcare system,” she told BirGun.
Health professionals have argued that the issue is not simply doctors choosing C-sections, but also wider pressures within the healthcare system, including time constraints and concerns over malpractice claims. — AFP