The right to health was protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, which was ratified by Turkey in 1949. Article 25 of the Declaration defines the "right to medical care", while Article 3 protects the "right to life" including the "right to health". Concerning asylum, Article 14 underlines the importance of the "right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution".

The healthcare system in Turkey is organized by the Ministry of Health in accordance with related laws in Turkey. The main principle is noted in Article 60 of the Turkish Constitution stating that every individual is entitled to social security and health benefits. The Ministry of Health is responsible to provide healthcare and makes the organization sufficient for such services for all individuals, citizens or foreigners without consideration of race, language, religion, sex, political opinion, philosophical belief and/or economic and social status. 

Turkey`s Social Insurance and Universal Health Insurance Law, accepted in 2006, defines available health services, the conditions of access, and the health expenditures. The right to medical services for forced migrants is described in Article 60 as ``Stateless people, refugees, asylum seekers and applicants of asylum status`` who are individual holders of general health insurance thanks to The Law on Foreigners and International Protection. Being an individual holder of a health insurance doesn't mean that all health services are free, but they are mostly covered by the health insurance and the contribution (out-of-pocket) fee which has to be paid by the patient is defined in Article 60 and 69 of the same Law.

Undocumented migrants have free access to healthcare services only for emergency care and health services pertaining to communicable diseases.