Turkey Health Ministry Suspends Over 100 Doctors Involved in Caesarean Deliveries as Pres. Erdogan Insists on ‘Natural Birth’

Turkey’s Health Ministry has reportedly fined more than 100 obstetrician-gynaecologists, suspended them from duty and ordered them to undergo mandatory training as part of a government crackdown on the country’s high rate of caesarean births.

According to BirGun newspaper, the disciplinary action follows President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s campaign to encourage what he describes as “natural births” under his “Decade of the Family” initiative, launched in 2025 to address Turkey’s declining birth rate.

Turkey recorded the highest caesarean birth rate among the 38 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries in 2023, with about 615 caesarean deliveries for every 1,000 live births.

Medical professionals told AFP that caesarean deliveries are often preferred because they take about 30 minutes, compared with up to 12 hours for v@ginal births, while also reducing the risk of legal disputes over complications and offering greater certainty for both doctors and patients.

In April 2025, the Turkish government banned elective caesarean procedures at private hospitals unless they were medically necessary.

The Antalya Chamber of Physicians said doctors 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.”

The Diken news website also reported that an obstetrician at a private hospital near Istanbul was dismissed at the Health Ministry’s request over a high caesarean rate and suspended for six months. The doctor must complete training at a state hospital and pass an examination before being allowed to resume practice.

Reacting to the sanctions, Dr. Ayse Gultekingil of the Turkish Medical Association argued that punishing doctors would not address the root cause of the issue.

“Turkey’s caesarean birth rate exceeds 60 per cent. But the method of delivery reflects various problems within Turkey’s healthcare system,” she said.