The Turkish government has announced a ban on elective cesarean deliveries in private healthcare centers, in an attempt to promote natural births and address the declining birth rate in the country. The new regulation, published in the Official Bulletin of the government on April 19, has generated controversy and criticism from human rights groups and opposition political parties.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has expressed his concern over Turkey's declining fertility rate, calling it a more significant threat than war. Erdoğan has defended the ban on elective cesareans, arguing that the government aims to promote normal childbirth and not restrict women's freedoms.
Turkish Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu supported the new regulation, emphasizing the importance of having children and stating that not having offspring means not forming a true family. This stance has drawn criticism from feminist and anti-patriarchal organizations in the country, which see these measures as an imposition of traditional gender roles.
The national campaign to promote vaginal births has gained attention, especially after a football team displayed a banner from the Ministry of Health at a match, supporting the initiative. High rates of cesarean deliveries have been recorded in Turkey, and the government seeks to reverse this trend in favor of natural births.
Despite the criticism received, the Turkish government defends its position and promotes traditional values, such as encouraging families to have more children and fostering natural births. The discussion regarding the regulation of cesarean deliveries continues to generate debate in the country, especially concerning respect for women's autonomy in making decisions about their reproductive health.
