Türkiye ranks first globally in live donor kidney transplants and second in live donor liver transplants, according to the Organ Transplant Coordinators Association.
While this achievement highlights the country’s progress in life-saving operations, experts warn that the number of deceased organ donors remains critically low.
Nilgün Bilal, president of the Organ Transplant Coordinators Association and organ transplant coordinator at Akdeniz University’s Prof. Dr. Tuncer Karpuzoğlu Organ Transplant Center, spoke to Anadolu Agency (AA) about recent trends in Türkiye’s organ donation landscape. She noted that although there has been a noticeable increase in transplant activity in 2025, the number of organ donations still falls short of meeting national demand.
“There are more than 35,000 patients on the Ministry of Health’s national waiting list,” Bilal said. “Of these, around 25,000 are waiting for kidney transplants. We also have patients in need of hearts, lungs, livers and composite tissues. Despite our success in live donations, Türkiye still lags behind globally in cadaveric organ donation.”
Bilal emphasized that organ donation after death remains culturally sensitive in Türkiye, and this continues to hinder progress. Despite years of awareness efforts, the idea of donating organs after death is not yet fully embraced across society.
She also pointed out that major societal disruptions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and recent earthquakes, have significantly affected donation rates.
Türkiye has made strides. According to Bilal, in 2024, the rate of organ donation from brain-dead individuals stood at 17.5%. Thanks to targeted awareness campaigns and training programs, that number rose to 22.5% in just the first half of 2025.
Bilal also said that Antalya now leads Türkiye’s nine regional transplant coordination centers in donation rates, followed closely by Bursa and Samsun.
“Our success is thanks to teamwork,” she said. “From health professionals to NGOs and local authorities, everyone plays a role. We’ve seen strong local engagement in Antalya, which has helped it become a leader in this field.”
While highlighting Türkiye’s position at the top of global live donation rankings, Bilal issued a strong public appeal for individuals to make organ donation pledges while alive.
“Donating an organ is one of the greatest acts of kindness,” she said. “But donating the organs of a deceased loved one to help strangers is an even greater virtue, one that can’t be measured in material terms. This is why it’s vital that people make a clear decision while they are still alive and inform their families of their wishes.”
