AYM President Özkaya Emphasizes Legal Guarantee in the Healthcare Sector

Constitutional Court President Kadir Özkaya stated in his speech at the Medicine and Justice Symposium held in Istanbul that physicians becoming unable to practice their profession due to the fear of making mistakes could negatively affect the quality of healthcare services.

Hosted by the Ministry of Health and held in cooperation with the Ministries of Health and Justice on October 17, 2026, in Istanbul, the Medicine and Justice Symposium convened under the theme "Medical Practices from the Perspective of Physicians and Judges." Speaking at the symposium, Constitutional Court President Kadir Özkaya emphasized that patient rights and the legal guarantees of healthcare workers must be considered together.

In his assessment, Özkaya stated that physicians being unable to continue their professions due to the fear of making mistakes could lower service quality, while on the other hand, leaving patients devoid of effective legal protection against damages would also be incompatible with the principle of the rule of law. The program was attended by Court of Cassation President Ömer Kerkez, Council of State President Zeki Yiğit, Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek, Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu, Constitutional Court Vice President İrfan Fidan, and Constitutional Court Members Muhterem İnce and Yılmaz Akçil.