The Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) collected more than 1.2 million units of blood during the first five months of 2026, highlighting the continued contribution of voluntary donors to Türkiye's national blood supply system.

The organization released the figures on Sunday to mark World Blood Donor Day, observed annually on June 14 in honor of Nobel Prize-winning scientist Karl Landsteiner, whose discovery of the ABO blood group system transformed modern medicine.

According to Kızılay, 1,246,400 units of blood were donated between January and May this year with the support of 1,197,512 regular donors.

Young people played a significant role in the donation effort, with individuals aged 18 to 24 accounting for 21% of all blood donors during the period. Men represented 85% of donors, while women made up 15%.

The organization said voluntary and regular blood donors remain the backbone of Türkiye's blood supply network, helping ensure hospitals have access to safe blood products for patients requiring emergency treatment, surgeries and ongoing medical care.

Kızılay also reported progress in its awareness and education campaigns aimed at strengthening the culture of voluntary blood donation across the country.

Following a record-breaking year in 2025, when it collected more than 3 million units of blood, the organization conducted 2,197 educational activities during the first five months of 2026. Through these programs, more than 1.2 million people received information and awareness training on blood donation.

In addition to blood donation campaigns, Kızılay continues to support patients with blood disorders through collaborative projects. Under the "We Love Kindness" initiative, carried out with the Thalassemia Federation and the Federation of Blood Diseases, a donor pool of more than 40,000 people has been established.

The project has helped recruit more than 4,000 regular donors and facilitated hundreds of patient-donor matches for individuals in need of treatment.

The organization is also expanding environmental and social responsibility initiatives linked to blood donation. Through the "Blood for Patients, Life for Forests" campaign, more than 4.7 million saplings have been planted with the support of blood donors nationwide.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Stem Cell Coordination Center (TÜRKÖK), operated jointly by Kızılay and the Health Ministry, continues to provide hope for patients awaiting stem cell transplants.

Since its launch in 2014, the number of active stem cell donor candidates has exceeded 1.23 million. The system has facilitated more than 36,900 patient-donor matches and successfully completed stem cell collection procedures from 8,500 donors.