The Ministry of Family and Social Services and the Ministry of Health signed a cooperation protocol to integrate preventive health services with social service delivery, on Tuesday.
Speaking at the signing ceremony at the Ministry of Health, Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş said the protocol aims to establish social service contact units in districts that currently lack social service centers or contact points.
Göktaş said the initiative is intended to improve access to social services and identify needs earlier, highlighting that Türkiye’s healthy life centers already provide essential services nationwide.
She added that citizens visiting these centers will have access to all the support and information offered by the ministry, their needs will be detected earlier, guidance will be faster, and coordination across public services will improve.
Social service centers, Göktaş said, offer preventive, supportive, developmental, guidance and counseling services in a single location.
Göktaş said: “Our centers implement programs that strengthen family unity and support the healthy development of children and youth. We carry out initiatives to enhance the participation of women, persons with disabilities and the elderly in social life. With this protocol, contact units will now be established nationwide for women, families, children, persons with disabilities, and relatives of martyrs and veterans."
"We will continue to support every citizen in need. Currently, we operate 438 social service centers and 311 social service contact units across the country. This ensures uninterrupted, targeted services for every household,” she said.
Göktaş also noted the use of mobile social service vehicles, which provide information, guidance and counseling. In 2025, three mobile vehicles and one mobile unit served 273,275 citizens. In 2026, eight mobile vehicles began field operations in 81 provinces.
“This protocol is highly significant. Across Türkiye, contact units of the Ministry of Family and Social Services will now be established within healthy life centers, district health directorates and community health centers. Citizens will be able to access services directly in their own districts without traveling long distances,” she said.
She thanked Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu and his team for their support and wished the protocol success.
Memişoğlu said the initiative advances a citizen-centered approach and represents a concrete step toward seeing health not only as disease prevention but as full well-being and strong social life.
“With this protocol, we bring health and social services under the same roof. Citizens visiting healthy life centers will now have direct access to social services. This collaboration allows comprehensive support, including physical health, social rights, elderly care, family support and employment guidance,” he said.
Memişoğlu added that social service specialists and physicians will initially work together in 72 districts to provide immediate, on-site solutions for vulnerable groups.
“Health is life itself. We do not separate health from social life and support citizens in all aspects to achieve full well-being,” he said.
