Turkish health minister details operation against newborn gang leading to arrests

Turkish Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu revealed shocking details about the dismantling of a criminal network known as the “newborn gang” in a live broadcast.

The gang, which operated within neonatal units of various hospitals, has been accused of causing the deaths of at least 10 newborns and exploiting families through unethical practices.

We are fighting resolutely against structures that have deviated from humanity. Our fight against such crimes will continue and we will take all the necessary measures against elements that threaten society. We will never give up on advancing on the path of goodness and truth.

Turkish Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu

The first tip-off about the gang came through Türkiye’s Presidential Communication Center (CIMER) in March 2023. Memisoglu confirmed that the operation, which lasted 1.5 years, was conducted in close collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Interior and local authorities.

“This gang treated newborns inhumanely. Their actions were heinous, and we took swift action as soon as we received the initial reports,” Memisoglu said.

The operation was carried out in complete secrecy to prevent the gang from destroying evidence. “This group heartlessly targeted the lives of newborns,” Memisoglu added.

10 hospitals lose licenses due to negligence, misconduct

Memisoglu detailed how the Ministry of Health revoked the licenses of 10 hospitals involved in the gang’s illegal activities. Among those whose licenses were canceled were hospitals such as Bagcilar Ozel Safak and Medilife Health Services. These hospitals can no longer admit patients, and those currently under their care are being transferred to other medical facilities.

“These hospitals, along with others, allowed such a deadly operation to take place under their watch,” Memisoglu stated. “Their negligence was unforgivable, resulting in the revocation of 10 hospitals’ identities.”

Further inspections were conducted in September 2023 after the establishment of a special commission that reviewed neonatal units across the country. This included checks on records, observation forms, patient files, and operational procedures in neonatal intensive care units.

“We left no stone unturned,” Memisoglu emphasized.

22 arrested in connection with infant deaths

Memisoglu shared that 22 people, including hospital staff linked to the gang, have been arrested so far, with further arrests expected as investigations continue.

However, Memisoglu clarified that those arrested were not legitimate healthcare professionals but individuals posing as such.

“These are not our healthcare workers. These are rotten apples in the system,” he remarked. “We have a duty to our people to remove these rotten apples from our healthcare system.”

The gang, he said, exploited loopholes and targeted newborn babies and their families in hospitals, causing unimaginable suffering. The investigation has since uncovered that the gang had been fraudulently manipulating newborn care in exchange for financial gain.

“We worked in close cooperation with the Interior and Justice ministries. This was a joint effort to ensure that justice is served,” Memisoglu said.

One of the critical breakthroughs in the operation came from ongoing surveillance, which culminated in a raid on April 26, 2024, in both Istanbul and Tekirdag. Evidence was gathered in the form of phone recordings, hospital records and surveillance footage that confirmed the gang’s involvement in infant deaths.

“By May 2023, we had already started covert monitoring, and by September, we had collected solid evidence,” Memisoglu explained. A CIMER application played a pivotal role in helping authorities zero in on the gang. “We dismantled this network, thanks to a single CIMER application. Our citizens’ reports are invaluable,” he added.

Investigations continue as authorities aim to prevent future crimes

Memisoglu assured that Türkiye’s healthcare system would continue to evolve, implementing tighter inspection and oversight mechanisms to prevent similar incidents.

He expressed deep concern for the infants and families affected, reiterating the ministry’s commitment to safeguarding public health. “We will do everything in our power to prevent this from ever happening again. The lives of our children are our highest priority,” Memisoglu stated.

Regarding the investigation’s future, he noted that more suspects could emerge as the court hearings proceed. “The legal process is ongoing, and we expect more details to come to light during the trial,” he said, highlighting the extensive nature of the network.

Memisoglu also acknowledged the involvement of high-level officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who had been briefed about the operation from the outset. “Our President instructed us to do whatever was necessary to bring those responsible to justice. We fought against these evildoers with everything we had,” he emphasized.

“Nobody should panic. Türkiye’s healthcare system is robust, and we have the will and ability to root out bad actors. Rest assured, no rotten apple can remain in our system for long,” Memisoglu concluded.

Details of newborn gang investigation

• March 27, 2023: On March 27, 2023, the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Health received a report about the incident via CIMER. Following this, an investigation was initiated by the Buyukcekmece Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office after the report was forwarded to the Anti-Financial Crimes Branch Directorate on May 21, 2023.

• September 28, 2023: On September 28, 2023, the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Health requested the establishment of a “Neonatal Intensive Care Audit Evaluation Commission.” This commission was tasked with examining, evaluating, and preparing individual or joint reports on the information and documents obtained during regular and extraordinary neonatal intensive care inspections of all public, private and foundation university health facilities across the province. As part of the investigation, the identities and addresses of the suspects were determined, and statements from victims and witnesses were collected. Additionally, documents and information were requested from relevant institutions, leading to action based on the concrete evidence gathered.

• April 26, 2024: On April 26, 2024, simultaneous operations were conducted in Istanbul and Tekirdag to arrest the identified suspects. A total of 47 people were detained, with 22 of them arrested. Witnesses and victim statements were also taken. In May, the operations of Medilife Health Services Hospital, one of the private hospitals involved, were suspended.

• Aug. 23: On Aug. 23, an expert opinion report prepared by the Ministry of Health Inspectorate stated that the pediatrician should not be responsible for the child who is left to the nurse’s care.
• Aug. 30: On Aug. 30, Aylin Arslantatar, the lawyer of the arrested suspects, called Y.E., the Investigation Prosecutor for Terrorism and Organized Crimes at the Buyukcekmece Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, who was leading the investigation, and then went to his office and told him that an assassination plot was being planned against him and that his father and mother would be harmed. Prosecutor Y.E. then notified the Buyukcekmece Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, where he worked, and an investigation was launched. Afterward, upon the request of lawyers Aylin Arslantatar and Mustafa Kemal Zengin to meet with the prosecutor, a recording device was placed in his office with the permission of the court and the meeting was recorded.
• September: During the investigation, in September, the operation of Bagcilar Private Safak Hospital was suspended.
• Oct. 9: On Oct. 9, Prosecutor Y.E. completed his investigation and prepared his summary. In the summary of the investigation, treatment and care methods that should have been applied to the babies but were not, passive euthanasia (active and passive euthanasia is not practiced in Türkiye. Every newborn with a detected heartbeat has the right to receive appropriate resuscitation and treatments) and that 90% of newborn babies were deprived of their right to life.

• Oct. 11: On Oct. 11, an operation was organized to arrest the suspects identified in the investigation into the threat against Prosecutor Y.E., and the suspects were detained.
• Oct. 14: On Oct. 14, four of the suspects who completed their procedures at the police station were released, while eight suspects, including two lawyers, were referred to Buyukcekmece Courthouse. The Criminal Judgeship of Peace on duty decided to arrest five of the eight suspects and to impose judicial control measures on three of them.
• Oct.16: On Oct. 16, Bakirkoy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office prepared an indictment. In the indictment, 10 deceased babies were listed as “deceased,” five people as “complainants,” the Social Security Institution (SGK) Istanbul Provincial Directorate as “damaged by the crime,” 19 hospitals and health companies as “financially responsible,” and 47 people as “suspects.” The indictment stated that the criminal organization, of which the doctor suspected Firat Sari was the ringleader, was led and managed by the doctor suspects Ilker Gonen and 112 Emergency Call Center ambulance driver Giyasettin Mert Ozdemir.
• The main purpose of the criminal organization was to ensure the occupancy of the neonatal intensive care units, the operation of which they took over, by eliminating the 112 referral system, and to receive payments from the surgical site infection (SSI) at the upper limit by manipulating the steps of the patients.
• Investigation into the matter is underway.

Eighteen suspects, including doctors, nurses, and paramedics, were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 10 years to 437 years and six months for “negligent homicide” in connection with the deaths of the infants.