Turkey Suspends Over 100 Doctors Over Caesarean Deliveries as President Erdogan Pushes for Natural Births

• Turkey has suspended more than 100 doctors over high caesarean section rates as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues his campaign to promote natural births and boost the country’s declining birth rate.
• Medical experts, however, argue that the high number of caesarean deliveries reflects broader challenges within Turkey’s healthcare system and cannot be solved through disciplinary action alone.

Turkey has suspended more than 100 obstetrician-gynaecologists and ordered them to undergo mandatory training as part of a government campaign to reduce the country’s high rate of caesarean births.

According to reports by BirGun newspaper, the disciplinary measures were introduced under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “Decade of the Family” initiative, launched in 2025 to encourage higher birth rates and promote what he describes as “natural births.”

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

Medical professionals told AFP that caesarean deliveries are often preferred because they take around 30 minutes, compared to vaginal births, which can last up to 12 hours. They also noted that the procedure offers greater predictability and reduces the risk of legal disputes over delivery complications.

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

The Antalya Chamber of Physicians said affected doctors had received warnings, faced disciplinary investigations, been temporarily suspended from practice, and ordered to attend antenatal training due to high caesarean section rates.

The Diken news website also reported that an obstetrician working at a private hospital near Istanbul was dismissed at the request of the Health Ministry after recording a high caesarean rate. The doctor was suspended for six months and must complete training at a state hospital and pass an examination before returning to practice.

Reacting to the sanctions, Dr. Ayse Gultekingil of the Turkish Medical Association argued that punishing doctors would not solve the underlying issues within the country’s healthcare system.

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