Organ Transplantation in Turkey

Which Organ Transplants and Donor Pathways Are Used in Turkey?

Turkey regulates several solid-organ transplant programs, but living donation and deceased donation follow different pathways.

• Kidney transplantation: A kidney can come from a medically suitable living donor or a deceased donor.

• Liver transplantation: Selected recipients can receive part of a liver from a suitable living donor.

• Heart transplantation: Heart transplantation depends on deceased-donor organ availability and national allocation.

• Lung transplantation: Lung transplantation also follows deceased-donor donation and allocation pathways.

• Pancreas transplantation: Authorized centers can perform pancreas transplantation under applicable transplant regulations.

Current Ministry information identifies the kidney and liver as organs that can be donated by living donors in Turkey.

How Are Deceased-Donor Organs Allocated in Turkey?

Deceased-donor organs in Turkey are allocated through the Ministry of Health's national coordination and software system. Current regulations state that fair organ distribution is a fundamental principle. Deceased-donor organs are distributed through the designated software rather than individual arrangements between patients and hospitals. Patients without the required system registration cannot receive an allocated deceased-donor organ. The National Coordination Center manages nationwide coordination with regional coordination centers. Allocation criteria also vary according to the organ involved and applicable clinical rules. International travel therefore cannot create a separate route around the national deceased-donor allocation process.

What Rules Apply to Living Organ Donors in Turkey?

Living organ donation in Turkey follows defined relationship, consent, medical, registration, and ethics requirements. Current rules permit donation from qualifying spouses and relatives through the fourth degree. The standard spouse rule requires at least two years of marriage. That requirement does not apply when the transplant-requiring disease was diagnosed after marriage. Cases outside the specified relationship categories require assessment by an Organ Transplant Evaluation Ethics Commission. Foreign residents covered by Turkey's immigration legislation require ethics review for living-donor transplantation, even when related. The Ministry can also require additional review in health-tourism cases presenting organ-trafficking concerns.

What Happens If a Living Kidney Donor Is Not Compatible?

An incompatible living donor may still lead to evaluation for a regulated paired-transplant pathway when relevant requirements are satisfied. Paired exchange connects incompatible donor-recipient pairs with other pairs that may offer suitable compatibility. Turkey's Organ Transplant Services Regulation specifically regulates this process. Matching must occur through the software system established by the Ministry of Health. The regulation prohibits paired-transplant matching outside that designated system. Potential matches still require medical testing and transplant-center approval before surgery. A software match therefore does not guarantee transplantation. Donor suitability, recipient suitability, immunological compatibility, consent, and applicable legal requirements must still be assessed.

How Are Donor and Recipient Compatibility Assessed Before Transplantation?

Compatibility assessment examines whether the proposed donor organ can be transplanted under acceptable medical and immunological conditions. Blood-group compatibility can influence donor selection for several solid-organ transplants. Kidney transplantation may also involve HLA assessment and testing for antibodies against donor tissue. Crossmatching helps determine whether the recipient has antibodies likely to react strongly against a particular donor. Other tests evaluate donor organ function, infections, anatomy, and overall donor health. Requirements differ between kidney, liver, heart, lung, and pancreas transplantation. Compatibility is therefore more complex than matching blood groups or identifying a willing donor.

What Happens After an Organ Transplant?

After organ transplantation, recipients require ongoing monitoring to identify rejection, infection, graft dysfunction, and medication-related complications. Immunosuppressive medicines reduce the immune response against the transplanted organ. The exact drug combination depends on the organ and individual clinical situation. Blood tests can monitor graft function and treatment-related changes. Some immunosuppressants also require measurement of medication levels. These medicines can increase infection risk and affect blood pressure, glucose, kidneys, or other systems. Recipients should not stop anti-rejection medicines without transplant-team guidance. Follow-up schedules become especially important for international patients continuing their care in another country.

How Does Turkey Monitor Organ Transplant Centers?

Turkey monitors licensed transplant centers using defined regulatory and follow-up requirements rather than relying only on procedure numbers. Current transplant regulations require centers to record transplant and follow-up information within the Ministry system. The Ministry monitors patient survival status and graft function at defined post-transplant intervals. These include 15 days, three months, six months, one year, and two years. Centers can also undergo additional review when specific regulatory concerns arise. This monitoring framework does not predict an individual patient's outcome. Published promotional claims should therefore not substitute for individualized assessment, current regulatory status, or disease-specific clinical information.

What Should International Patients Prepare Before Organ Transplantation in Turkey?

International patients should prepare recipient, donor, identity, and medical documentation before arranging organ transplantation in Turkey.

• Provide diagnosis reports, laboratory results, imaging, current medications, and previous treatment records.

• Living donors should provide complete medical information required for independent donor evaluation.

• Provide official documentation establishing the claimed relationship between donor and recipient when applicable.

• Ask whether the individual case requires Organ Transplant Evaluation Ethics Commission review.

• Confirm how postoperative medicines, blood tests, and transplant follow-up will continue after returning home.

Documentation requirements can vary by donor pathway and individual circumstances. The transplant center should review eligibility before international travel arrangements are finalized.

How Can International Patients Verify a Transplant Provider in Turkey?

International patients should verify both health-tourism authorization and the relevant organ-specific transplant permission before selecting a provider. Turkey's Ministry of Health publishes its authorized international health-tourism provider records. The current provider page is dated July 28, 2026. However, health-tourism authorization alone does not authorize every organ transplant program. Transplant centers require organ-specific licensing and activity permissions under separate transplantation regulations. Ministry rules also monitor registered transplant centers and their follow-up data. Authorization or accreditation does not guarantee individual treatment results. Patients should confirm regulatory status directly and obtain an individualized medical assessment before making treatment arrangements.

Organ Transplantation in Turkey Cost 2026: What Affects the Total Cost?

Organ transplantation in Turkey has no single 2026 cost because clinical requirements vary substantially by organ, donor pathway, and patient. This page therefore does not provide a fixed treatment price. Recipient testing, donor evaluation, compatibility studies, surgery, anesthesia, hospitalization, and pathology can affect the financial plan. Living-donor pathways also require separate donor investigations and care. Intensive care, immunosuppressive medicines, laboratory monitoring, imaging, and complications may create additional requirements. International patients should request an individualized written quotation after medical and legal eligibility assessment. The quotation should clearly identify included services, exclusions, donor-related services, medicines, and follow-up arrangements.

This page provides general scientific and medical information. It does not advertise organ donation or recommend a specific transplant, donor arrangement, healthcare provider, or clinical outcome. Organ transplantation requires individualized medical, legal, and ethical assessment.

Last updated: August 14, 2026

Sources

• https://antalyaism.saglik.gov.tr/TR-266691/organ-nakli-hizmetleri-yonetmeligi.html

• https://antalyaism.saglik.gov.tr/TR-361748/organ-nakli-hizmetleri-yonetmeliginde-degisiklik-yapilmasina-dair-yonetmelik.html

• https://antalyaism.saglik.gov.tr/TR-355412/7557-saglikla-ilgili-bazi-kanunlarda-ve-663-sayili-kanun-hukmunde-kararnamede-degisiklik-yapilmasina-dair-kanun.html

• https://sggm.saglik.gov.tr/TR-111303/organ-bagisi-kampanyasi-2025.html

• https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/kidney-failure/kidney-transplant

• https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/liver-disease/liver-transplant/living-with-transplant

• https://www.hrsa.gov/optn/patients/organ-donation/donor-matching-system

• https://shgmturizmdb.saglik.gov.tr/EN-108974/regulation-on-international-health-tourism-and-tourist-health.html

• https://shgmturizmdb.saglik.gov.tr/EN-69061/authorized-healthcare-providers-and-facilitators.html

• https://shgmturizmdb.saglik.gov.tr/TR-117812/saglik-turizmi-yetki-belgesine-sahip-saglik-tesislerinin-dikkatine.html

• https://antalyaism.saglik.gov.tr/TR-366500/saglik-hizmetlerinde-tanitim-ve-bilgilendirme--faaliyetleri-hakkinda-yonetmelik.html