The Turkish Health Ministry has sanctioned more than 100 obstetricians-gynecologists for performing an excessive number of cesarean sections [1], [2].
This move marks a significant escalation in the government's effort to reduce surgical births. The crackdown aligns with a broader pro-natalist campaign led by President Erdogan to increase the national birth rate by encouraging natural deliveries.
According to reports, the sanctions issued on July 11, 2024, include financial fines and professional suspensions [2], [3]. The ministry targeted doctors who performed C-sections that were deemed medically unjustified [1], [4].
Officials in Ankara are focusing on the high rate of surgical interventions in Turkish hospitals. By penalizing practitioners who exceed certain thresholds of C-sections, the government aims to shift medical practice back toward vaginal births [1], [4].
While some sources describe the number of penalized physicians as approximately 100 [1], others state the figure is more than 100 [2]. This discrepancy reflects the scale of the ministry's sweep across the healthcare system.
The initiative is part of a strategic push to reverse declining birth rates. The administration believes that reducing the perceived risks or convenience of C-sections will encourage more women to have children [4].
“The Turkish Health Ministry has sanctioned more than 100 obstetricians-gynecologists.”
This policy represents a rare instance of a state using punitive administrative measures against medical professionals to achieve a demographic goal. By framing the high rate of C-sections as a barrier to population growth, the Turkish government is prioritizing natalist outcomes over the traditional autonomy of clinical decision-making in maternity care.
