On July 24, 2025, Türkiye enacted Law No. 7557, a comprehensive reform package designed to modernise and improve its healthcare system amid rapid social and technological changes. This legislation emerges as part of Türkiye’s broader strategic health initiatives, including the “Healthy Türkiye Century Program” and the “Protective, Developing, and Productive Health Model,” which collectively aim to strengthen public health, drive local innovation, and boost overall system efficiency. The law touches nearly every aspect of healthcare delivery—from employment regulations and disciplinary frameworks to digital healthcare processes and enhanced oversight of pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

A key feature of the law is a significant amendment restricting physicians, dentists, and specialists to practicing in no more than two healthcare institutions. Previously, these professionals could work in multiple locations within the framework of employment planning overseen by the Ministry of Health. This new limitation intends to standardise employment conditions, improve regulatory oversight, and reduce fragmented medical practice. Physicians currently practising under older permits must reapply by June 1, 2026, or lose the legal right to work in private healthcare settings. Critics within parliament warn that while aimed at quality assurance, this restriction could exacerbate healthcare access problems in underserved regions if not paired with a broader workforce strategy.

The law also formalises disciplinary procedures for contracted healthcare personnel in management roles by aligning their disciplinary process with the Civil Servants Law No. 657. Decisions such as contract termination due to misconduct will now be taken by a High Disciplinary Board to ensure procedural fairness. Yet, dissenting voices highlight ongoing issues with inconsistent enforcement, lack of transparency, and a failure to address systemic factors affecting healthcare worker motivation and retention.

Private healthcare institutions face a near-total advertising ban, restricted to basic informational content like contact details and operating hours. Significant fines will be imposed on violators. Although intended to curb unfair competition and protect patients, some lawmakers question the effectiveness of this approach without complementary transparency-enhancing measures and express concern about the financial burden on smaller providers.

Digital transformation is another pillar of the reform, with the legalisation of electronic informed consent (“e-consent”) enabling patients to provide consent via electronic devices through secure identity verification systems. While hailed as a modernisation step, concerns were raised about the accessibility of such technologies for elderly and rural populations lacking digital infrastructure and user support.

Enhancements in organ and tissue donation processes now permit registration via the national e-Government portal. Donations remain valid despite family objections post-mortem, and registered donors’ first-degree relatives receive prioritisation in transplant lists, directly after emergency cases. However, parliamentarians assert that more robust public awareness and trust-building campaigns are needed to support this system.

Strengthened legal frameworks now underpin pharmaceutical traceability in the Pharmaceutical Tracking System (İTS), which mandates pharmacies and warehouses to report all product movements, including specialised medical foods, using QR codes to prevent counterfeit or illegal goods. Significant penalties up to licence revocation are in place for non-compliance, though critics point to operational challenges such as technical difficulties with the system, the impact of currency fluctuations on medicine supply, and persistent issues with Social Security Institution discount schemes.

The law introduces strict sanctions against counterfeit and unregistered medical devices, with fines ranging from TRY 1 million to TRY 10 million for offenders. Enforcement responsibilities fall jointly to the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency and top local government officials, though questions remain about enforcement capacity and the broader measures needed to combat sophisticated illegal markets.

In an expanded regulatory role, the Agency gains authority to request financial records from relevant entities to enhance oversight, a move that some parliamentarians caution should be balanced with transparency safeguards and operational feasibility guidelines.

While Law No. 7557 codifies many existing Ministry of Health practices and sets clearer, more consistent standards, critics, including healthcare professionals and political figures, emphasise its limitations. Essential ongoing challenges remain—such as appointment system congestion, insufficient intensive care capacity, uneven vaccine administration, drug shortages exacerbated by economic factors, and systemic issues with healthcare costs and reimbursement. Previous protests by healthcare workers highlighted fears that increased commercialisation and profit-driven approaches might undermine patient care and healthcare worker rights.

Additionally, reforms to health insurance for foreign residents implemented earlier in 2025 reflect a broader trend toward stricter regulation and increased cost but promise more reliable coverage, illustrating the government’s multi-faceted approach to healthcare system improvement.

In summary, while Law No. 7557 marks a notable legislative milestone and provides structural enhancements and regulatory clarity, successful transformation of Türkiye’s healthcare system will require ongoing policy focus on infrastructure, workforce planning, accessibility, and financial sustainability to complement these legal reforms.

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Source: Noah Wire Services