Turkey's YOK to Shut Down 17 Medical Schools for Lacking Hospitals
Türkiye's Higher Education Council (YOK) is set to shut down medical faculties in 17 private foundation universities this month, as they fail to meet the legal requirement of owning or running a hospital with at least 200 beds. The deadline, October 16, 2025, was initially set in 2020 with a two-year extension, and lawmakers introduced the obligation to ensure meaningful patient contact and surgical training for students.
Among the affected universities is Ankara Medipol, a high-profile institution founded by former Health Minister Fahrettin Koca. Despite its prestigious status, Medipol lacks a hospital and faces legal challenges in establishing one. Medical experts have warned that the lack of hospitals in schools puts patient safety at risk, as students graduate without sufficient patient contact or surgical training.
If no new regulation is passed, YOK will close the non-compliant faculties and transfer enrolled students to universities that meet the hospital requirement. Currently, 32 foundation universities run medical schools, but 17 still lack hospitals. The government could still pass an emergency legal change to delay or adjust the hospital rule, but no such proposal has been announced.
With the deadline looming, the fate of medical education in these 17 universities hangs in the balance. Students, faculty, and the public await a resolution from Parliament, which could introduce a last-minute legal amendment to address the situation.
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