Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu stated that they will submit a bill proposal to the Parliament within a few weeks that will increase public awareness about cigarettes and tobacco, reduce the visibility of cigarettes, and also reveal criminal liabilities more clearly.
Memişoğlu made statements regarding the agenda and answered questions in the TRT News live broadcast on Karantina Island in Urla district of Izmir.
Providing information about Quarantine Island, Memişoğlu stated that, as the ministry, they always want people to stay healthy, and that nearly 60 percent of the deaths in Türkiye are caused by diseases related to tobacco use.
Memişoğlu emphasized that Türkiye ranks second in the world in terms of smoking rate and said that 8 billion packs of cigarettes were sold in Türkiye last year and its turnover was around 20-30 billion dollars.
"TR ID number will be required for cigarette sales"
Stating that they want smoking to be quit voluntarily rather than through punishment or prohibition, Memişoğlu said:
"The most fundamental issue in the preparation of the law is to eliminate the visibility of cigarettes and the perception that they are something natural. That is why we want to make cigarettes less visible. We are restricting smoking, especially in some areas. We are restricting smoking in schools, natural sports areas, closed areas, and we want it to be kept away from there. In addition, our main aim is that it is forbidden to sell cigarettes to people under a certain age. This sale will be made by presenting the Turkish ID number. This is a very important thing. In other words, it will be said to whom it is sold. At the same time, it is forbidden to sell cigarettes to people under a certain age. "We are clarifying the current blurry area in cafeterias and restaurants; which area will be allowed to smoke and which area will not be smoked. Non-smokers are more disadvantaged, and we are fixing that."
Memişoğlu stated that they will increase public awareness about cigarettes and tobacco, reduce the visibility of cigarettes, and at the same time set out criminal sanctions more clearly, and stated that they will submit the relevant bill to the Parliament within a few weeks.
"We say that what is natural is normal birth"
Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu reminded that the "Natural Normal Birth Action Plan" was launched in 2024 under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's wife, Emine Erdoğan.
Stating that they started this action plan for the health of the mother and the baby, Memişoğlu said that they reduced the cesarean section rate by 15 percent in the last year.
Memişoğlu said, "As the Minister of Health, I have to say which one is healthy. We say that the natural one is normal birth. This is healthy. They can have a cesarean section when necessary, but while only one in 10 births in the world is a cesarean section, if you have 5 or more, this is an unnatural process." he said.
Stating that Türkiye has come to very good places in health services, Memişoğlu pointed out that they also want to produce health technology.
Memişoğlu explained that they are trying to produce vaccines and medicines and that they are coordinating this through the Turkish Health Institutes Presidency (TÜSEB).
Explaining that they produced the heart and lung machine together with ASELSAN, Memişoğlu said:
"The respiratory device currently has a factory in Batman, we export it to 40 countries in the world and we use this device in our own hospitals and city hospitals. We bought the mobile x-ray device from ASELSAN today, we will use that device in our public hospitals. We say this, we will produce it ourselves. Now we are working on 8 vaccines. If God permits, we will make a contract for them very soon. We have already started to produce 2 vaccines, chickenpox and hepatitis A, locally. "We give it to our people for free."
It will be easier for citizens to buy the medicines in the report
Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu stated that family physicians are the closest doctors to citizens.
Stating that they have enabled family physicians to prescribe the continuation of the medicine given by the specialist doctor, Memişoğlu said that they have implemented many new practices in this regard.
Memişoğlu said, "We are now working on a study. That is, once a drug report is written to a doctor, we will enable our people to take the drugs in that report directly, without the need to have the doctor write it again. This way, they will not have to go to that doctor again to have it written. We are doing such a study. Very soon, hopefully, we will declare it as appropriate. Thus, after receiving the drug report, our people will have it printed once, and then, with a certain electronic approval stage, they will be able to easily buy it from the pharmacy without having to have it written by a doctor again." he said.
Emphasizing that the Ministry of Health has a large healthcare army with its employees, Memişoğlu stated that they will make an announcement about new recruitments within a few weeks.
Stating that they have built 52 hospitals in Izmir so far, Memişoğlu said that a second city hospital is planned and that they will start construction in a very short time after the necessary financial arrangements are made.
"We are in the top league in healthcare"
Describing city hospitals as "masterpieces of health", Memişoğlu stated that Aydın, Samsun and Şanlıurfa city hospitals were opened, Ordu City Hospital started accepting patients, and Trabzon will receive its first patient within a few months.
Stating that they aim to complete the construction of city hospitals in Sakarya and Rize by the end of the year, Memişoğlu said:
"We currently have 11 city hospitals in the construction phase in Türkiye. We have planned all 11 city hospitals. We will build city hospitals in Tokat, Muğla and hopefully Denizli. We planned them in Konya. Of course, we will start their construction gradually. We will build a city hospital in Hatay. We have put out the tender. There is a process. Hopefully, we will start it as soon as possible. So, essentially, we have a problem of service-oriented dedication and worry." "We are now in the top league in health. We are striving to do better, but I also want the society to work with us to stay healthy."
