Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu says nearly 3 million people come from abroad to receive healthcare in Türkiye each year, while official medical tourism figures show a narrower patient count.
Türkiye’s Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu said nearly 3 million people from abroad receive healthcare in the country each year. However, Türkiye medical tourism data show that 1.4 million people visited the country for healthcare purposes in 2025. The difference highlights the importance of distinguishing between foreign patients, international patients and medical tourists when interpreting the figures.
Türkiye’s Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu said nearly 3 million people come from abroad and receive healthcare in Türkiye each year, highlighting the country’s growing international healthcare capacity. However, available Türkiye medical tourism statistics indicate that the figure should not automatically be interpreted as the annual number of medical tourists.
Speaking during a live television program on June 28, 2026, Memişoğlu said around 3 million people receive healthcare services in Türkiye every day, while nearly 3 million people come from abroad and receive healthcare in the country each year.
“Every day, 3 million people receive healthcare services in Türkiye. Nearly 3 million people a year also come from abroad and receive healthcare in Türkiye,” Memişoğlu said, according to Anadolu Agency.
The two figures refer to different populations. The daily figure concerns people receiving healthcare within Türkiye, while the annual figure specifically refers to people coming from abroad. Memişoğlu’s annual estimate should therefore not be interpreted as including Turkish residents receiving routine healthcare.
The minister also said Türkiye’s healthcare system has become an example for countries in the surrounding region, with some seeking Türkiye’s support and expertise in healthcare services.
Medical tourism data show a different figure
The nearly 3 million figure cited by Memişoğlu differs substantially from the number reported in Türkiye medical tourism statistics.
According to figures provided by the Services Exporters’ Association, 1,398,580 people visited Türkiye for healthcare purposes in 2025. The country generated approximately $3.02 billion in medical tourism revenue during the year.
In the first quarter of 2026, Türkiye provided healthcare services to 302,487 international patients and generated $761.5 million in medical tourism revenue.
The available data therefore do not support describing Memişoğlu’s statement as meaning that Türkiye received nearly 3 million “medical tourists” in a year.
Foreign patients are classified differently
The discrepancy underscores differences in how international patients are classified within Türkiye’s healthcare system.
Türkiye’s Ministry of Health does not classify every foreign patient under a single medical tourism category. People who travel specifically to receive medical treatment are categorized as medical tourists, while tourists who require emergency or unplanned healthcare during their stay fall under a separate category.
Patients who receive treatment under bilateral healthcare agreements or social security agreements can also be classified separately.
The Health Ministry requires healthcare providers to identify the relevant “Foreign Patient Type” when recording foreign nationals receiving medical care, a system intended to ensure that different groups of international patients are registered accurately.
As a result, the terms foreign patient, international patient and medical tourist cannot necessarily be used interchangeably when comparing healthcare statistics.
Scope of 3 million remains unclear
No publicly available detailed dataset was identified that explains precisely which international patient categories are included in Memişoğlu’s estimate of nearly 3 million people.
It is therefore not possible, based on currently available information, to establish exactly why the minister’s estimate differs from the 1,398,580 medical tourism visitors reported for 2025.
What can be verified is that Memişoğlu specifically referred to people coming from abroad to receive healthcare in Türkiye, rather than Türkiye’s general patient population.
Medical tourism revenue tops $3 billion
Türkiye’s medical tourism industry has also become an increasingly significant source of services exports. According to data cited by the Services Exporters’ Association, medical tourism revenue exceeded $3 billion in 2025.
International patients seek a broad range of treatments in Türkiye, including plastic and aesthetic surgery, hair transplantation, dental procedures, ophthalmology, orthopedics and traumatology, cardiology and oncology.
Patients arrive from markets including Europe, the Middle East, the Balkans, Turkic republics and North Africa.
Türkiye has also continued to expand its wider healthcare infrastructure. According to the Health Ministry, the country’s total hospital bed capacity has reached about 271,000, while its healthcare workforce has grown to approximately 1.5 million.
Why It Matters
Türkiye medical tourism is becoming increasingly important to both the country’s healthcare sector and its services exports. Clear distinctions between medical tourists, foreign patients and other international patient groups are essential when measuring the sector’s actual scale. Transparent and comparable statistics can also provide patients, healthcare providers and policymakers with a more accurate picture of Türkiye’s position in the global healthcare market.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people come from abroad to receive healthcare in Türkiye each year?
Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu said nearly 3 million people come from abroad and receive healthcare in Türkiye annually. However, a detailed public dataset explaining exactly which categories of international patients are included in that estimate has not been identified.
Does Türkiye receive nearly 3 million medical tourists a year?
Available data do not support using that description. Figures for 2025 show that 1,398,580 people visited Türkiye for healthcare purposes, meaning Memişoğlu’s broader estimate of nearly 3 million foreign patients should not automatically be treated as a medical tourism count.
How much does Türkiye earn from medical tourism?
Türkiye generated approximately $3.02 billion from medical tourism in 2025, according to figures provided by the Services Exporters’ Association. Revenue reached $761.5 million in the first quarter of 2026.
Are foreign patients and medical tourists the same?
Not necessarily. Türkiye’s healthcare system uses different classifications for medical tourists, visitors who unexpectedly require healthcare, and patients receiving treatment under bilateral or social security agreements.
Source: Ministry of Health, Anadolu Agency, Services Exporters’ Association
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