President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday inaugurated Medistate Çekmeköy Hospital in Istanbul, where he said that serving the country has no public or private distinction and stressed that all investments contributing to Türkiye’s development, health care capacity and "Century of Türkiye" goals deserve support and recognition.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Erdoğan said the government supports every initiative that benefits the country, stressing, “Any effort that contributes to Türkiye’s development, growth and taking one more step toward the goals of the Türkiye Century is worthy of appreciation.”
Underlining the government’s investment approach, Erdoğan said, “We are an administration that does not classify capital by its color, that does not discriminate between domestic and foreign investors, and that supports every project that serves the country’s interests.” He added, “We especially appreciate all efforts that make it easier for our citizens to access high-quality health care services.”
Erdoğan said the newly opened Medistate Çekmeköy Hospital is a fully equipped and modern facility that will strengthen Istanbul’s health care infrastructure. He noted that the hospital has a capacity of 150 beds, including 16 general intensive care units and 13 neonatal intensive care units, along with 43 outpatient clinics, four dental clinics, seven operating rooms, a comprehensive emergency department, and physical therapy and rehabilitation units.
He also pointed to the hospital’s oncology center, saying, “Critical services such as nuclear medicine and nuclear therapy will be provided here.” Erdoğan added that with the construction of a 50-bed Neurological Sciences Center, “the hospital’s bed capacity will increase to 200.”
Placing the investment in a wider context, Erdoğan recalled the global coronavirus pandemic, saying, “The entire world went through a global health crisis whose effects we are still struggling to overcome.” He noted that the pandemic “tested both economies and health systems,” adding that “countries with weak health systems paid a heavy price.”
Referring to Europe during the pandemic, Erdoğan said, “We all remember the tragic scenes that took place in Europe, which has long been held up to us as an example.” He stressed that, “Türkiye was one of the countries that managed the coronavirus pandemic in the best way.”
Emphasizing the role of health care infrastructure, Erdoğan said, “During this process, we personally experienced how vital health infrastructure is, regardless of whether it is public or private.” He added that state hospitals, city hospitals and private health care institutions “played truly critical roles” in managing the crisis.
Erdoğan said a similar cooperation was seen after the Feb. 6 earthquakes, noting, “In emergency disaster situations, our private hospitals took on a serious burden under the coordination of our Ministry of Health.” He added that “the costs of these services were covered by the state, and the best health care services were provided to our people without creating any additional financial burden.”
Stressing Türkiye’s current position, Erdoğan said, “We are now playing in a different league in health care, and we take pride in this.” He also criticized opposition to private enterprise, saying, “There are circles that immediately attack whenever private initiative is mentioned, clinging to the jargon of the 1960s and 1970s and opposing every kind of private investment under the guise of public interest.”
