Body procurement for medical education and research in Türkiye: confronting legal, institutional, and cultural challenges toward a sustainable national framework

Abstract

Cadaveric dissection provides a unique setting for medical students to develop spatial understanding, empathy, and professional respect for the human body. In Türkiye, however, the sustainability of this practice is challenged by persistent shortages and fragmented governance. This paper presents a national overview of the legislative, institutional, and sociocultural barriers affecting body procurement for medical education and research. It examines the three principal cadaver sources, voluntary donation, unclaimed bodies, and imported cadavers, within the existing legal and regulatory context. Legal ambiguities, overlapping authorities, and missing implementing regulations have produced inconsistent practices across faculties. Social factors, including limited family involvement, institutional reluctance, and religious hesitation, further constrain donation rates despite official religious endorsement. Addressing these challenges requires harmonized legislation, transparent institutional procedures, family-inclusive consent models, and active public engagement. A coherent national system would ensure equitable access to cadaveric resources while reinforcing anatomy’s educational and ethical foundations. Beyond logistics, sustainable body procurement must integrate respect, gratitude, and social trust, transforming donation from an administrative act into a shared moral commitment that upholds scientific progress and human dignity.

Keywords

• anatomy
• body donation
• ethics
• legacy collections
• legislation
• sociocultural barriers
• Türkiye

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