Türkiye is one of the busiest countries in the world for aesthetic surgery, and it attracts many patients from abroad. That is a measurable fact. The reasons people usually give, such as lower prices, skilled surgeons and convenient packages, are harder to prove, and popularity alone does not tell you whether a particular surgeon is right for you.

Key takeaways

  • In the 2025 ISAPS survey, Türkiye is 9th among ranked locations for total procedures (1,318,980) and reports 76,190 rhinoplasties; it is not number one overall.
  • Surgeons in Türkiye report that roughly a third of patients come from abroad (32.4% average in 2025), about double the worldwide average of 15.3%.
  • Popularity says nothing about an individual surgeon, so the facility, the authorization and the aftercare plan still need checking.

How big is Türkiye in aesthetic surgery?

The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) runs an annual global survey of board-certified plastic surgeons. Its 2025 edition, released in September 2026, is the main source here; two earlier editions are listed for reference.

ISAPS survey Total procedures, Türkiye Rhinoplasty, Türkiye Rhinoplasty rank in the report
2025 data (2025 report) 1,318,980 (9th among ranked locations) 76,190 no separate ranking published
Previous survey, 2024 data (2024 report) 1,110,306 (8th among ranked countries) 60,982 3rd, after Brazil and India
Earlier survey, 2023 data (2023 report) 1,201,139 (6th among ranked countries) 83,146 2nd, after Brazil

In the 2025 report, Türkiye’s 794,390 surgical procedures were led by eyelid surgery (102,410, 12.9%), followed by rhinoplasty (76,190, 9.6%) and liposuction (74,290, 9.4%). Face and head procedures made up about 46% of the country’s surgical procedures (367,270, calculated from the report totals).

Three cautions apply:

  • These are projections, not a registry. For the 2025 survey ISAPS invited about 17,000 plastic surgeons, received data from 2,900, and projected national totals from the responses and from estimated surgeon numbers. The report says rankings include only locations with sufficient and representative responses.
  • The editions are not directly comparable. The 2025 report covers 51 locations individually against 32 in the 2024 report and added new procedures, and ISAPS says this may affect comparability with the totals of earlier years. The rows above are separate snapshots, not a trend, and none of the figures is exact.
  • Counts measure volume, not quality. A country can rank high because it has many surgeons, many patients or both.

ISAPS estimated that Türkiye had 1,900 plastic surgeons in its 2025 survey (1,200 in 2024 and 1,600 in 2023). The United States and Brazil lead the world on total counts in all three surveys.

How many patients come from abroad?

ISAPS asked surgeons what share of their patients come from other locations. In the 2025 survey, surgeons in Türkiye reported an average of 32.4% foreign patients (median 15.0%), compared with a worldwide average of 15.3% (median 10.0%). Their most frequently cited origin countries were Germany, the UK and the US. Higher averages were reported for the Dominican Republic (51.7%), Tunisia (41.2%) and Mexico (33.3%), with Colombia close behind (31.5%), so Türkiye is high but not alone. For comparison, the previous survey (2024 data) showed an average of 29.6% for Türkiye against 14.3% worldwide, a similar pattern; the editions cover different sets of locations, so the figures are not set against each other here.

The official count comes from USHAŞ, the health-services company of the Turkish Ministry of Health, which cites the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK). Its health tourism data page gives 1,398,580 people visiting Türkiye to receive health services in 2025, against 1,506,442 in 2024 and 1,538,643 in 2023. The figure covers all health services, not aesthetic surgery alone, and includes citizens living abroad, so it is a measure of the whole sector.

Why do so many people choose Türkiye?

Reasons that clinics and patients often give include price, all-inclusive packages, direct flights from many countries and a large number of surgeons doing the same operation often. In common practice in Turkey, the two that matter most are surgeon experience and volume, and the convenience of a package that handles transfers, hotel and follow-up in one place (editorial note, October 2026). The ISAPS counts support the volume point for rhinoplasty. The others rest on clinic and agency claims rather than neutral data.

On price, the sourced reference points are limited. In common practice in Turkey, the surgery fee for a rhinoplasty is typically €4,000–6,500 (editorial estimate, October 2026; surgery only, not a quote). The American Society of Plastic Surgeons lists an average US rhinoplasty cost of $7,637 that excludes anesthesia and facility fees, so it is not directly comparable with a travel package. Our Turkey rhinoplasty budget guide explains how to build a total cost and why “up to 70% cheaper” style claims need a like-for-like quote behind them.

Is Istanbul the best place for nose surgery?

No source can say that any city is the best place, and “best” depends on who operates on you, not on the city. What a city offers is access: many surgeons, many hospitals and a lot of competition for foreign patients, which cuts both ways. A crowded market gives you choice and also gives you more marketing to sort through.

Our guide to Istanbul’s districts helps with the practical side of staying there, and how to vet a surgeon covers the rest.

What does popularity not tell you?

Popularity does not tell you the training, record or aftercare of the person who will operate on you. The NHS, in its advice on cosmetic surgery abroad (last reviewed December 2022), says overseas clinics may not provide follow-up treatment, or not to the same standard as in the UK, and that standards and qualifications abroad may differ. It suggests asking where follow-up takes place, what happens if complications arise, whether the surgeon speaks a language you understand, and what insurance applies. It also says travel insurance does not normally cover problems after surgery.

None of this is specific to Türkiye, and none of it means surgery there is unsafe. It means the checks are yours to make. For a closer look at safety questions, see is Turkish medicine safe for surgery? and the organ-theft and safety myths.

What rules protect international patients in Türkiye?

Türkiye’s regulation on international health tourism and tourist health was published in the Official Gazette on 26 April 2025 (No. 32882). It requires:

  • an International Health Tourism Authorization Certificate for facilities (issued by the Ministry of Health) and for intermediary companies (issued by USHAŞ, the state’s international health services company);
  • an itemized invoice or receipt with unit prices from the facility, and an itemized breakdown of accommodation, transport and similar charges from an intermediary;
  • complication insurance from facilities for surgery performed in an operating room.

The Ministry’s HealthTürkiye platform provides a page of certified healthcare providers and facilitators. This is a summary of the regulation, not legal advice, and the list may not be complete. Ask to see the authorization certificate and match the company name on your contract to the listing.

What should you ask before booking?

  • Who is the surgeon, and what is their training and registration?
  • Is the facility and, if I use one, the agency authorized? Can I see the certificate?
  • What does the itemized quote include and exclude?
  • Where will follow-up happen, and what happens if I need more surgery?
  • What complication insurance applies, and what does my travel insurance exclude?
  • How long should I stay, and when can I fly home? Ask your surgeon.

A cost-focused version of these checks is in our guide to choosing a rhinoplasty surgeon.

Sources

All pages were opened and checked on 10 October 2026.