How to get your medical records from a clinic in Türkiye

Whether you need them for your GP, a dentist back home, a second opinion or a possible complaint, your medical records from Türkiye are the most important thing to take home after treatment. Yet many patients only think about them when something goes wrong – and then find that getting documents from a clinic thousands of kilometres away is harder than expected.

This guide explains what you are entitled to and how to ask for it. It is general information, not individual legal advice.

Do I have a right to my medical records from Türkiye?

Yes – Turkish law gives you a right to see your medical file and get a copy. Two sets of rules are relevant.

The Patient Rights Regulation (Hasta Hakları Yönetmeliği) states that a patient may examine their health file and records directly or through a representative, and may obtain a copy (Article 16). It also allows you to ask for incomplete, unclear or incorrect records to be completed or corrected (Article 17).

The Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698 (known as KVKK) treats health information as special category personal data. Article 11 gives you, as the “data subject”, rights against the clinic as “data controller” – including the right to learn whether your data is processed, to request information about it, to know to whom it has been transferred and to have inaccurate data corrected.

These rights apply to private clinics and hospitals as well as state hospitals, and they do not depend on your nationality.

Which documents should I ask for?

Ask for everything that documents what was done to you – not just a “summary letter”. A complete set usually includes:

Document	Why it matters
Operation report (ameliyat notu)	Describes exactly what the surgeon did
Discharge summary (epikriz)	Diagnosis, treatment, medication and aftercare instructions
Anaesthesia record	Type of anaesthesia, drugs and any incidents
Implant passport / implant details	Manufacturer, model, size and batch number of breast, dental or other implants
Imaging files (X-ray, CT, CBCT)	Original files in DICOM format, before and after treatment
Laboratory results	Blood tests and other pre-operative checks
Signed consent forms	Show what risks you were informed about
Medication list	What you were given and what to continue at home
Invoices and payment receipts	Needed for insurance, tax and any claim
Treatment plan and quote	Shows what was agreed before treatment

Tip: Ask for your records before you leave Antalya. It is far easier to collect a USB stick at your last check-up than to chase emails from home.

How do I request them – is there sample wording?

Send a short, written request to the clinic’s official email address and keep proof that you sent it. Under the KVKK rules, requests can be made in writing or by electronic means such as registered electronic mail (KEP) or an email address you have previously given the clinic. Writing to the email address you used during your treatment is the most practical route for most patients.

A sample request you can adapt:

Dear Sir or Madam,

I was treated at your clinic from [date] to [date] (patient name: [name], date of birth: [date], passport number: [number]).

Under Article 16 of the Turkish Patient Rights Regulation and Article 11 of the Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698, I request a complete copy of my medical file, including: the operation report, discharge summary (epikriz), anaesthesia record, implant details (manufacturer, model, size and batch number), all imaging in original DICOM format, laboratory results, signed consent forms, and all invoices.

Please send the documents electronically to this email address or tell me how I can collect them. Please confirm receipt of this request.

Kind regards, [Name, signature, date]

Attach a copy of your passport so the clinic can identify you. A Turkish version of the same request often speeds things up, because the staff who handle records may not read English well. If you send it in both languages, state that both versions have the same content.

How quickly must the clinic reply?

Under the KVKK, the clinic must respond to your request as soon as possible and within 30 days at the latest. It must either provide what you asked for or give reasons for refusing.

The Patient Rights Regulation itself does not set a fixed deadline. In practice, many clinics send records within a few days. If you need them urgently – for example because your GP is treating a complication – say so clearly in your request.

Can the clinic charge me?

In principle, no. Requests under the KVKK are answered free of charge. Under the communiqué that sets out how these requests are handled, a fee of 1 Turkish lira per page may be charged only for written answers of more than ten pages, and if the answer is provided on a medium such as a CD or USB stick, the fee may not exceed the cost of that medium. Any fee is refunded if the request was caused by the clinic’s own error.

If a clinic asks for a significant “administration fee” or makes the release of records conditional on paying an outstanding balance, ask it in writing on what legal basis it is charging.

What language will they be in – do I need a translation?

Expect most official records to be in Turkish. Clinics working with international patients often provide an English discharge summary, but the operation report, anaesthesia record and consent forms are frequently only in Turkish.

For your GP or dentist, an English summary from the clinic is often enough. For a legal claim, an insurance claim or a formal medical report, you will usually need a certified translation of the key documents. Always keep the Turkish originals: if there is ever a dispute, the original document is what counts.

What if the clinic ignores or refuses me?

You have several options, and they can be used together.

1. Send a reminder. Refer to your first request, its date and the 30-day limit. Sometimes a request simply landed in the wrong inbox.
2. Complain to the KVKK Authority. If your request is rejected, the answer is inadequate or there is no answer within 30 days, you can complain to the Personal Data Protection Board (Kişisel Verileri Koruma Kurulu). You must have applied to the clinic first. There are also time limits for the complaint itself, counted from the clinic’s answer or from your original request, so do not leave it for months.
3. Contact the health authorities. For clinics in Antalya, the Antalya Provincial Health Directorate (İl Sağlık Müdürlüğü) supervises healthcare facilities. Complaints can also be filed through the Ministry of Health’s communication centre SABİM or the government’s online portal CİMER.
4. Preserve evidence through the court. If you are considering a claim and fear that records could be lost or altered, a lawyer in Türkiye can apply to a court for evidence preservation (delil tespiti) before a lawsuit is filed.

Tip: Keep a simple log: date of each request, how you sent it, and any reply. If you later need to complain, this record does much of the work for you.

Why will my GP, dentist or a legal claim need them?

Without records, the doctor treating you at home is working blind. Knowing which implant was used, what anaesthetic you received and what exactly was done during surgery can change how a complication is treated. Dentists at home, for example, often need the implant system and the CBCT scans before they can repair or adjust work done abroad.

For any complaint or legal claim, the records are the core evidence. Whether treatment met the medical standard and whether you were properly informed is usually assessed by experts based on these documents. Claims also have short deadlines in Türkiye, so getting your file early protects your position even if you never use it. Our guide to medical malpractice in Türkiye explains the next steps.

Checklist before you leave the clinic

• Operation report and discharge summary – in Turkish, with an English summary if available
• Anaesthesia record and medication list
• Implant passport or card with batch numbers
• Imaging files in DICOM format on a USB stick or via a download link
• Copies of all signed consent forms
• Invoices and payment receipts
• Name and contact details of your surgeon and the clinic’s patient coordinator
• Written aftercare plan and who to contact if problems arise

Read more

• Medical malpractice in Türkiye: your rights and what to do
• Your treatment contract with a Turkish clinic
• Problems after dental treatment in Türkiye