Fahrettin Koca

Türkiye has undertaken four more expeditions to bring over 200 sick and injured individuals from the strife-ridden Gaza Strip for urgent medical treatment.

Two out of the 114 patients evacuated from the war-torn Gaza Strip to Türkiye have lost their lives, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced on Dec. 6.

The casualties, both adults, succumbed to skin and lung cancers with widespread metastases, the minister detailed.

Another group of 68 people including Turkish citizens and their family members arrived in Istanbul early on Dec. 6 after being evacuated from the war-torn Gaza Strip amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a visit to cancer patients transferred to Türkiye from Gaza and receiving treatment in Ankara.

Erdoğan arrived at the Oncology Hospital, where patients are being treated, joined by Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, the hospital's Chief Physician, and doctors.

A Turkish ship carrying a large number of health supplies — including field hospitals and ambulances — to Gazans has arrived at an Egyptian port near the besieged strip, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has announced.

Türkiye, Egypt and Israel have joined forces to create a joint health coordination team aimed at facilitating the transfer of patients from Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, the only route out of the region not controlled by Israel.

Ankara will soon initiate the transfer process of children with cancer from Gaza to Türkiye for their treatment, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has announced.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has announced that Türkiye has made extensive preparations to establish 20 field hospitals both in the vicinity of the Rafah border gate, the only way into Gaza not controlled by Israel, and at Egypt's El Arish airport to provide medical aid to the conflict-stricken Gaza.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has penned a letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) chief, urging the global health body to guarantee the security of health services in Gaza and to facilitate Türkiye's support for the victims of the ongoing conflict.

Koca shared Oct. 25's letter on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

Nearly 8,000 previously resigned physicians have returned to the ministry's health facilities and the average number of resignations in state hospitals have significantly decreased following a series of innovations called the "White Reform," Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.