Regulatory layer
Turkish limits on promotion and information in health services.
Medical-tourism guide
Healthcare Advertising Compliance Checklist
Medical tourism advertising passes two independent filters: Turkish promotion and information regulation, and the advertising platform’s own health policy. Copy can clear one and fail the other. This checklist exists to test both before publication.
Nothing below is legal advice. It is for internal pre-screening; the final assessment stays with your legal team.
We built the list by working backwards from the reasons ads were actually rejected.
Which claim type carries which risk?
In most rejected advertising the problem traces to a single word. The table below lists the claim formats used most often and where each stands against the two filters.
Use it as a list of questions for your legal team, not as a ruling.
| Claim type | Promotion regulation | Platform policy | Practical decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Success or recovery rate | High risk | High risk | Not used |
| “Best in Türkiye” style claims | High risk | Medium risk | Not used |
| Before-and-after images | High risk | High risk | Not used |
| Patient testimonials and experience accounts | High risk | Medium risk | Not used |
| Fixed price and discount emphasis | High risk | Low risk | Not used; scope detail given instead |
| Physician name, title and specialty | Low risk | Low risk | Used, once verified |
| Treatment process and duration | Low risk | Low risk | Used |
| Facility, equipment and accreditation detail | Low risk | Low risk | Used, once verified |
| Accommodation, travel and companion detail | Low risk | Low risk | Used |
What is the pre-publication check order?
Every piece of copy and creative follows the same sequence before going live. The order matters: running the platform check first lets non-compliant copy go live under the cover of “approved”.
You can use this internally too; if you are not working with an agency, the same order applies.
Pre-publication check order
- Does every claim have a source, and is it verifiable
- Has all outcome, ratio and comparative-superiority language been removed
- Is consent documented for every person appearing in the creative
- Do physician title and specialty match the official record
- Is any treatment described that falls outside the authorisation scope
- Does the landing page contradict the promise in the ad
- Does the form request special-category personal data
- Are the privacy notice and consent flow correctly constructed
Does consent lift the promotion limit?
No. This is the point most often confused. A patient’s explicit consent legitimises the processing of their personal data; it does not change what regulation permits you to say.
In other words, obtaining consent to publish a patient’s image does not stop that image from constituting promotion that creates an expectation of outcome. The two rules operate independently and both must be satisfied.
Platform layer
The advertising platform’s own health-category policy.
Data layer
Notice, explicit consent and special-category data limits.
Frequently asked questions
What institutions ask most about this
Does this checklist replace legal advice?
No. It is for internal pre-screening. For anything requiring interpretation of regulation, consult your legal team or a lawyer; we do not provide legal opinions.
Does Turkish regulation apply to ads shown abroad?
Promotion by a health institution established in Türkiye is subject to Turkish regulation regardless of the target country. The destination country’s own healthcare advertising rules may also apply, so both sides need checking.
If the platform approved it, are we safe?
No. Platform approval shows compliance with that platform’s policy only. It says nothing about Turkish regulation. The two filters are independent.
Can we display accreditation logos?
If the certificate is current and its terms of use permit it, yes. Displaying an expired certificate, or one covering a different scope, creates both regulatory and reputational risk.
Do these rules cover our physician’s personal account?
Promotion limits in health services can extend to professional posts on a physician’s personal account. We recommend preparing an internal posting guideline.
Our ad was rejected. Should we appeal?
Understand the reason first. If there is an implied outcome or a comparative claim, appealing wastes time and the copy needs rewriting. If it was misclassified, an appeal makes sense.
May we circulate this checklist to our team?
Yes. You may share it internally, citing the source and leaving the content unaltered.