Turkey Bans Elective C-Sections in Private Clinics

The Turkish Ministry of Health has announced a ban on elective C-section births in private medical centers—unless there’s a valid medical reason.

The ministry says the move is part of a larger effort to promote natural births and better regulate delivery practices across the country.

Reports had shown that some private hospitals were overusing C-sections mainly for profit, leading to a big and unnecessary rise in those procedures.

A statement from the ministry called this a clear violation of public health guidelines, which encourage natural births because of their health benefits for both mom and baby.

The ministry also said it will start closely monitoring private clinics. They’ll now be required to provide detailed reports explaining the medical reasons behind any C-section. A specialist doctor will have to confirm those reasons, and without proper documentation, the procedure won’t be allowed.

This comes after President Erdoğan declared 2025 the “Year of the Family,” with one of the main goals being to boost the country’s birth rate.