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Turkey organ transplant waiting list reaches 33,000 patients
During Organ Donation Week (November 3–9), health officials and medical associations in Turkey reported that over 33,000 patients are currently awaiting organ transplants. Of these, approximately 28,790 are specifically waiting for kidney or liver transplants.
Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu noted that approximately 5,000 transplants were performed in the last year across 152 centers. While Turkey maintains a high rate of living donor transplants, officials emphasized a critical need to increase cadaveric donations. Currently, the donation rate per million people in Turkey is approximately 5 to 6, significantly lower than the European Union average of 15 to 20.
Digital integration has significantly impacted donation rates. Since the implementation of organ donation declarations via e-Devlet and e-Nabız, the number of registered donors has increased threefold, approaching 1 million. Experts stress that while digital declarations facilitate the process, patients should still communicate their decisions to their families to prevent uncertainty following brain death.
In regional updates, medical professionals in Samsun, Diyarbakır, and Antalya held awareness events. In Diyarbakır, a patient successfully underwent a second kidney transplant from a cadaver after 11 years of dialysis. Meanwhile, ophthalmology experts reported that cornea transplant coordination through 51 eye banks is operating at international standards.
Entities
Acıbadem Ataşehir Hospital · Afyonkarahisar Provincial Health Directorate · Aydın Pars · Aydın Türkmen · Kemal Memişoğlu · Mehmet Kazak · Ministry of Health · Nilgün Bilal · Organ Transplant Coordinators Association · Samsun City Hospital · Turkey · Turkish Intensive Care Society
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The total number of organ donors in Turkey is approaching 1 million. haberinyildizi.com · www.malatyaguncel.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Organ donation declarations via e-Devlet and e-Nabız have increased three-fold. haberinyildizi.com · www.malatyaguncel.com · www.yenialanya.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] More than 33,000 patients are waiting for organ transplants in Turkey. www.kocatepegazetesi.com · www.malatyaguncel.com · rayhaber.com · www.yenialanya.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Turkey's cadaveric organ donation rate is 5.48 per million people. www.habername.com · www.yenialanya.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] 28,790 patients are specifically waiting for kidney or liver transplants. haberinyildizi.com · www.malatyaguncel.com · www.yenialanya.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] In 2025, 5,226 organ transplants were performed in Turkey. www.malatyaguncel.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] In the first 10 months of 2026, 4,142 organ transplants were performed. www.malatyaguncel.com · www.yenialanya.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Approximately 83 percent of transplants in Turkey are from living donors. rayhaber.com