Araştırma Makalesi

Physician migration in Türkiye under authoritarian neoliberalism

Cilt: 23 Sayı: 2026 31 Temmuz 2026
PDF İndir
EN TR

Physician migration in Türkiye under authoritarian neoliberalism

Öz

This article examined the recent increase in physician migration from Türkiye through the lens of authoritarian neoliberalism. Drawing on thirty-one qualitative interviews with general practitioners and specialists employed in second-tier public hospitals who had migrated or were preparing to do so, the study showed that migration could not be explained by economic factors alone. Instead, it was shaped by the combined effects of declining professional autonomy, employment insecurity, symbolic devaluation, and growing workplace violence. These processes altered both the material conditions and the moral meaning of medical work. Bringing together Hirschman's concept of exit and Bourdieu's notion of symbolic capital, the article highlighted how structural pressures and everyday professional experiences intersected. For many physicians, migration emerged not simply as a career move but as a response to a system perceived as increasingly difficult to sustain. The findings suggested that policies focused solely on financial incentives were unlikely to reverse this trend. Addressing physician migration required restoring autonomy, recognition, and stability within professional life.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Physician migration, authoritarian neoliberalism, precarisation, symbolic capital, Türkiye

Destekleyen Kurum

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency.

Etik Beyan

Ethics approval was obtained from the Istanbul Bilgi University Ethics Committee (Project No: 2022-30013-140, Date: 15/09/2022).

Teşekkür

This article is derived from the author’s doctoral dissertation completed at Istanbul Bilgi University. The author would like to thank the dissertation supervisor and jury members for their valuable support.

Kaynakça

  1. Abbasi, M., Nejadsarvari, N., Kiani, M., Borhani, F., Bazmi, S., Tavaokkoli, S. N., & Rasouli, H. (2014). Moral distress in physicians practicing in hospitals affiliated to medical sciences universities. Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal, 16(10), e18797.
  2. Afsin, S. B. (2025). Narratives of “good care” at hospitals in Türkiye: Occupational experiences of retired nurses. New Perspectives on Türkiye, 73, 166–182. https://doi.org/10.1017/npt.2025.7
  3. Agartan, T. I. (2015). Health workforce policy and Türkiye’s health care reform. Health Policy, 119(12), 1621–1626.
  4. Agartan, T. I., & Kuhlmann, E. (2019). New public management, physicians and populism: Türkiye’s experience with health reforms. Sociology of Health & Illness, 41(7), 1410–1425.
  5. Akça, İ. (2014). Hegemonic projects in post-1980 Türkiye and the changing forms of authoritarianism. In İ. Akça, A. Bekmen, & B. A. Özden (Eds.), Türkiye reframed: Constituting neoliberal hegemony (pp. 47–74). Pluto Press.
  6. Akçay, Ü. (2018). Neoliberal populism in Türkiye and its crisis (IPE Working Paper No. 100). Institute for International Political Economy Berlin.
  7. Aluttis, C., Bishaw, T., & Frank, M. W. (2014). The workforce for health in a globalised context: Global shortages and international migration. Global Health Action, 7(1), 23611.
  8. Arıkan, M. S. (2023). The Health Transformation Program in Türkiye: A historical and contemporary analysis of policy, practice and stakeholder perspectives [Master’s thesis, Middle East Technical University].
  9. Atun, R., Aydın, S., Chakraborty, S., Sümer, S., Aran, M., Gürol, I., Nazlıoğlu, S., Özgülcü, O., Aydoğan, Ü., Ayar, B., Dilmen, U., & Akdağ, R. (2013). Universal health coverage in Türkiye: Enhancement of equity. The Lancet, 382(9886), 65–99. Author. (2024). Details omitted for blind review.
  10. Aydan, S. (2023). Hekim göçü açısından Türkiye’nin çalışma koşullarının değerlendirilmesi. Hacettepe Sağlık İdaresi Dergisi, 26(3), 895–920.

Kaynak Göster

APA
Özekici Emirönal, N. (2026). Physician migration in Türkiye under authoritarian neoliberalism. OPUS Journal of Society Research, 23(2026), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.26466/opusjsr.1935788
AMA
1.Özekici Emirönal N. Physician migration in Türkiye under authoritarian neoliberalism. OPUS TAD. 2026;23(2026):1-12. doi:10.26466/opusjsr.1935788
Chicago
Özekici Emirönal, Nazlı. 2026. “Physician migration in Türkiye under authoritarian neoliberalism”. OPUS Journal of Society Research 23 (2026): 1-12. https://doi.org/10.26466/opusjsr.1935788.
EndNote
Özekici Emirönal N (01 Temmuz 2026) Physician migration in Türkiye under authoritarian neoliberalism. OPUS Journal of Society Research 23 2026 1–12.
IEEE
[1]N. Özekici Emirönal, “Physician migration in Türkiye under authoritarian neoliberalism”, OPUS TAD, c. 23, sy 2026, ss. 1–12, Tem. 2026, doi: 10.26466/opusjsr.1935788.
ISNAD
Özekici Emirönal, Nazlı. “Physician migration in Türkiye under authoritarian neoliberalism”. OPUS Journal of Society Research 23/2026 (01 Temmuz 2026): 1-12. https://doi.org/10.26466/opusjsr.1935788.
JAMA
1.Özekici Emirönal N. Physician migration in Türkiye under authoritarian neoliberalism. OPUS TAD. 2026;23:1–12.
MLA
Özekici Emirönal, Nazlı. “Physician migration in Türkiye under authoritarian neoliberalism”. OPUS Journal of Society Research, c. 23, sy 2026, Temmuz 2026, ss. 1-12, doi:10.26466/opusjsr.1935788.
Vancouver
1.Nazlı Özekici Emirönal. Physician migration in Türkiye under authoritarian neoliberalism. OPUS TAD. 01 Temmuz 2026;23(2026):1-12. doi:10.26466/opusjsr.1935788