Türkiye regulations · 9 October 2026
Elazığ medical waste burning draws TRY 501.568 million fine
The ministry announced fines totalling TRY 501.568 million for three healthcare facilities after a judicial investigation identified three earlier medical waste burning incidents in 2025.
Türkiye’s Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change has announced a further penalty following a medical waste investigation involving a private healthcare provider in Elazığ. Its statement dated 7 October 2026 puts the total fine for the company’s three healthcare facilities at TRY 501.568 million. The announcement concerns earlier incidents involving a provider already fined for burning waste. [Source](https://csb.gov.tr/haberler/bakanlik-ekipleri-elazig-daki-ozel-saglik-kurulusuna-bu-kez-501-milyon-568-bin-tl-ceza-uyguladi-306876)
A separate penalty from the May action
According to the ministry, its Elazığ provincial directorate imposed an administrative fine of TRY 47,206,354 on the same private healthcare provider in May 2026. That action concerned the unlawful transport of pharmaceutical and hospital waste and its burning in the garden of a private property. The October announcement presents the TRY 501.568 million penalty as a subsequent action concerning earlier incidents identified during the investigation, rather than a restatement of the May amount. [Source](https://csb.gov.tr/haberler/bakanlik-ekipleri-elazig-daki-ozel-saglik-kurulusuna-bu-kez-501-milyon-568-bin-tl-ceza-uyguladi-306876)
Official source: Republic of Türkiye — Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change ↗Records identified incidents from 2025
The statement reports that similar waste burning incidents from 2025 were identified during the ongoing judicial investigation. According to the ministry, medical waste collected from three different branches of the same provider was destroyed by burning on different dates. It cites camera and GSM records as the basis for these findings. The announcement identifies three earlier incidents but does not provide their exact dates, waste quantities or branch names. [Source](https://csb.gov.tr/haberler/bakanlik-ekipleri-elazig-daki-ozel-saglik-kurulusuna-bu-kez-501-milyon-568-bin-tl-ceza-uyguladi-306876)
Official source: Republic of Türkiye — Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change ↗Enforcement followed judicial notification
Following notification from the judicial authorities, the Elazığ provincial directorate imposed fines totalling TRY 501.568 million on the company’s three healthcare facilities. The ministry cites the relevant provision of Environmental Law No. 2872 without identifying the article number. It also gives no breakdown by facility or explanation of the calculation. The announcement therefore does not establish that the fines were divided equally or that a particular penalty multiplier was used. [Source](https://csb.gov.tr/haberler/bakanlik-ekipleri-elazig-daki-ozel-saglik-kurulusuna-bu-kez-501-milyon-568-bin-tl-ceza-uyguladi-306876)
Official source: Republic of Türkiye — Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change ↗Scope of the announcement
This development is an enforcement action reported under the existing Environmental Law, not a legislative proposal or a newly enacted rule. The source describes the judicial investigation as ongoing and does not announce a final criminal conviction. It also provides no information about collection of the fines, any appeal or the facilities’ operating status. The amounts and sequence reported here reflect the ministry’s account in its 7 October statement. [Source](https://csb.gov.tr/haberler/bakanlik-ekipleri-elazig-daki-ozel-saglik-kurulusuna-bu-kez-501-milyon-568-bin-tl-ceza-uyguladi-306876)
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