Turkey Fines Over 100 Obstetricians for Unjustifiably Frequent C-Sections

Turkey's Ministry of Health has fined over 100 obstetricians for performing an unjustifiably high number of cesarean sections, the newspaper BirGun reported on Saturday.

Turkey has the highest rate of cesarean deliveries among the 38 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). According to the latest data from 2023, more than half of all live births in the country were delivered via C-section.

Doctors argue that the procedure saves staff time—taking around 30 minutes compared to several hours for natural childbirth—and reduces the risk of legal consequences from complications during delivery.

Last year, the Turkish government launched a campaign to address declining birth rates under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's "Family Decade" initiative, which is seen as an effort to increase control over women's childbirth choices. Erdoğan advocates for natural births and has called for reducing the number of elective C-sections. In April 2025, the government banned cesarean sections in private healthcare facilities unless medically necessary.

According to data from professional medical organizations cited by BirGun, more than 100 doctors have been penalized. The Antalya Doctors' Chamber website states that obstetricians have received official warnings, undergone disciplinary investigations, been temporarily suspended from work, and forced to attend prenatal training courses due to the high number of C-sections nationwide. The measures have sparked outrage among specialists.