TTB announces record increase in number of Turkish doctors applying to go abroad in 2023

Turkish Medical Association (TTB) announced that applications for the “certificate of good conduct” that doctors receive to move abroad broke a record in 2023. Some 1361 doctors applied in the first six months of 2023 while this number was 1171 in the same half of 2022.

Monday July 03 2023 04:57 pm

Duvar English

In the first half of 2023, the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) revealed a remarkable surge in the number of applications for the "certificate of good conduct" among doctors seeking to move abroad, with the number of applications reaching an astounding 1361.

In order to qualify for an international job application, Turkish doctors need to apply to the TTB for a "certificate of good conduct.”

This rise signifies an all-time high in the demand for these certificates, as per the TTB's announcement. In June alone, 242 doctors applied for the certification.

In the first six months of 2022, the number of applications was 1171 while the number was 533 for the first half of 2021.

The TTB stated, “We will continue the struggle to improve the working conditions of all our colleagues, especially those in the earthquake zone!"

TTB'ye "İyi Hal Belgesi" başvuru sayısı;
📌 Haziran ayında 242,
📌 2023'ün ilk 6 ayında 1361 oldu.

Deprem bölgesindekiler başta olmak üzere tüm meslektaşlarımızın çalışma koşullarının iyileştirilmesi için mücadeleye devam! pic.twitter.com/0feYXL87Uv
— Türk Tabipleri Birliği (@ttborgtr) July 3, 2023

The number of doctors leaving the country has increased 70 times in the last 11 years according to the TTB statistics. Some 2,685 physicians left Turkey for posts abroad in 2022.

Overtime, long shift hours, low wages, lack of merit, cases of violence in healthcare, mobbing and harsh working conditions have led to the departure of many physicians in recent years.

In March, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had commented on the exodus of doctors leaving Turkey, saying “If they can leave, let them leave.” In the face of a huge reaction against these remarks, Erdoğan later changed his tune, saying that Turkey “needs” its doctors.