Abortion in Turkey is a complex issue with a history of legal and social changes. While abortion has been legal on request since 1983 access to safe and legal abortion services has become increasingly difficult in recent years. This guide will explore the legal status of abortion in Turkey, the challenges women face in accessing abortion services and the ongoing debate surrounding this sensitive topic.
Legality of Abortion in Turkey
Abortion in Turkey is legal under the following conditions:
- Up to 10 weeks of pregnancy: Women can request an abortion without any restrictions during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
- Beyond 10 weeks: In special circumstances, such as danger to the woman’s life or the life of the fetus, abortion may be permitted beyond 10 weeks with the approval of a medical board.
Challenges to Accessing Abortion Services
Despite the legal framework, access to safe and legal abortion services in Turkey is often limited due to several factors:
- De facto ban: Although abortion is legal, many public hospitals refuse to perform the procedure, creating a de facto ban in many parts of the country.
- Financial barriers: Private clinics that offer abortion services often charge high fees, making them inaccessible to many women, especially those from low-income backgrounds.
- Social stigma: Abortion remains a taboo subject in Turkish society, leading to stigma and discrimination against women seeking abortion services.
- Lack of information: Many women are unaware of their legal right to abortion or where to access safe and legal services.
The Ongoing Debate
Abortion is a hotly contested topic in Turkey, with strong views on both sides. Women should have the autonomy to manage their own bodies and make decisions regarding their reproductive health, according to pro-choice activists. Pro-life organizations, on the other hand, contend that abortion is immoral and ought to be prohibited.
The Future of Abortion in Turkey
The future of abortion rights in Turkey remains uncertain. The current government has expressed its opposition to abortion, raising concerns about further restrictions on access to services. However, women’s rights groups and activists continue to fight for the protection and expansion of abortion rights in the country.
Additional Resources
- Abortion in Turkey: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_Turkey
- Abortion Rights in Turkey: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2023/country-chapters/turkey#
- Abortion Access in Turkey: https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/abortion-policies-turkey
Turkey has a complicated abortion law and a long history of social and legal reforms. Even though abortion is permitted upon request, many women still struggle to get access to safe and authorized abortion services. The ongoing discussion in Turkey about the legality of abortion emphasizes how critical it is to support women’s reproductive autonomy and health.
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PRIORITIES IN TURKEY
Reproductive health in Turkey is worse than in other countries with similar levels of development, particularly for women. Compared to Europe, maternal and newborn mortality rates remain higher than regional averages despite increases in life expectancy. A number of findings from the Turkish Demographic Health Survey (TDHS) could be significant in explaining the low level of reproductive health in the country: the percentage of unwanted pregnancies is 11%, roughly one-fifth of pregnant women do not receive antenatal care, and one-fifth of births take place outside of medical facilities. Moreover, roughly 25 percent of all births take place without the help of a medical professional or other qualified health worker. The of modern contraceptives is low. Condom use among married men is around 11%. 14.
Turkey is placed 94th out of 177 countries in the Human Development Index for 2005, based on data from 2003. 15 The Human Development Report also indicates serious regional differences within the country. 16.
MATERNAL DEATHS AND UNSAFE ABORTIONS
Pregnancy-related causes claim the lives of an estimated 529 000 girls and women worldwide each year, or one every minute, and injure and disable many more over time. Ninety-nine percent of all maternal deaths occur in the developing world. 1–5.
Direct causes of pregnancy-related deaths worldwide are:
- severe bleeding, 25%;
- infection, 15%;
- unsafe abortion, 13%;
- hypertensive disorders, 12%;
- obstructed labour, 8%; and
- other, 8%.
Abortion is a sensitive and contentious issue with religious, moral, cultural, and political dimensions. It is also a public health concern in many parts of the world.
More than 25% of the world’s population lives in countries where surgery is either prohibited or only permitted in cases where it will save the woman’s life. Whatever the law, abortions nevertheless occur, and roughly half of them are performed by untrained personnel, in unsanitary environments, or both.
The World Health Organization defines an unsafe abortion as “a procedure for terminating an unwanted pregnancy either by persons lacking the necessary skills or in an environment lacking the minimal medical standards, or both.” When abortion is performed by qualified people using correct techniques in sanitary conditions, it is very safe. Worldwide, nearly one in 10 pregnancies ends in unsafe abortion. However, this is a global estimate that includes countries where abortion is illegal and often dangerous along with those where it is legal and safe. In low-income countries, women have an average of one unsafe abortion during their reproductive lives. 3,6–8.
Turkey currently ranks among the top 20 countries in the world and has the largest population in the Middle East. Women constitute 36. 1 million of the population, and half of this number is of reproductive age. Each year approximately 1. 5 million births take place and 728–1000 mothers die due to pregnancy-, delivery-, and birth-related complications.
Turkey has made progress in enhancing reproductive health since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), and the government has incorporated the objectives and strategies of the ICPD into the country’s development plan. A National Strategic Plan for Women’s Health and Family Planning was also developed, with a focus on minimizing disparities within and between regions as well as between different population groups. 9–11.
Despite some progress made in the areas of primary mother-child health care and reproductive health, there are still large gaps in the availability of healthcare services, especially between urban and rural areas as opposed to towns and cities, and among the regions, especially for those living in the poorer eastern part of Turkey rather than the west.
One of the main causes of death for Turkish women in their reproductive years is unsafe abortion, and induced abortion is a worldwide problem that has an impact on women’s health at the national level.
Despite the permissive nature of the abortion law, the requirement that the procedure be carried out only by or under the supervision of gynecologists has severely limited the number of legal abortions up to 10 weeks performed in the country. 12,13 This factor is especially significant in rural Turkey, where there are either nonexistent or extremely few medical specialists. Many rural health facilities that are without a trained specialist are excluded from providing services. A Turkish woman living in a rural area might therefore be unable to obtain an abortion during the first ten weeks of her pregnancy.
This paper will address the possibility that the law requiring safe abortion services could act as a barrier in and of itself, making it more difficult to provide services for all women of reproductive age.
Is abortion legal in Turkey?
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