Türkiye’s Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu held official talks in South Korea on Tuesday on a production facility planned for Türkiye, with the aim of manufacturing ultrasound devices with a local content rate of at least 71%.
Memişoğlu visited Samsung Medison, the medical imaging arm of the Samsung group, where discussions focused on raising domestic production capacity for ultrasound systems, covering everything from monitors and probes to software and hardware, according to reports in Sabah and Vatan. He also reviewed AI-supported ultrasound systems and was briefed on how far production has progressed on a device line launched through technology transfer under cooperation between Türkiye and the company.
Biotech and drug manufacturing on the agenda
The minister also toured IFEZ, the Incheon Free Economic Zone, described in the reports as one of the world’s largest centres for biotechnology, drug manufacturing and health technology. Talks there covered start-ups, technology-focused investment and international cooperation.
He then visited Celltrion, a South Korean biopharmaceutical company known for biosimilar medicines, where he was briefed on the development and production of biological drugs. The meetings also covered knowledge sharing and possible cooperation on new health technologies.
The reports did not give the location of the planned facility, the size of the investment, its production capacity or a timeline for the start of manufacturing.
Why local production matters
Ultrasound scanners are among the most widely used diagnostic tools in Turkish hospitals and family health centres, used for pregnancy check-ups, abdominal and cardiac scans and emergency care. The Health Ministry has for several years pushed to cut reliance on imported medical equipment and medicines, both to save foreign currency and to secure supply.
Demand on the system is high. Health Ministry data show doctor visits in Türkiye reached 1.139 billion in 2025, and the network of large public city hospitals keeps growing, with the Şanlıurfa City Hospital opening with 2,000 beds this year.
For foreign residents, most diagnostic scans at public hospitals are accessed through the state insurer SGK or private cover. Our explainer on health insurance for foreign residents sets out the options, and our moving to Türkiye checklist covers registration steps for newcomers.
Sources
- Bakan Memişoğlu Güney Kore’de: Üretim tesisi için resmi temaslarda bulundu (Sabah)
- Bakan Memişoğlu Güney Kore’de: Ultrason cihazlarında en az yüzde 71 yerlilik hedefleniyor (Vatan)
Photo: Shixart1985 / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
