Istanbul has quietly become one of the top medical travel destinations on the planet, and the appeal isn’t just price.

Patients are flying in for hair restoration, cardiology, oncology, fertility treatment, orthopedics, and full diagnostic workups, often finding shorter wait times and more attentive care than they’d get at home. The challenge is sorting through the noise. Here are 10 names that consistently come up when international patients compare where to go for serious, well-run treatment in Istanbul.

1. Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic

Among the specialists on this list, Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic stands out for doing one thing at an exceptional level rather than many things adequately. Hair restoration is the sole focus, covering DHI, Sapphire FUE, and PRP-supported recovery, and that narrow lane has made the clinic one of the most searched names among patients specifically comparing hair transplant in Turkey.

It earns a place at the top of this list not because it competes with full hospitals on cardiology or oncology, but because within its category it has built the kind of reputation and repeat-patient volume that general medical centers rarely match for a single procedure. For anyone whose Istanbul trip is built around hair restoration specifically, this is the name to start with.

2. Acibadem International

Acibadem is the closest thing on this list to a full-service medical destination. As one of Turkey’s largest private healthcare groups, it covers cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, IVF, general surgery, and diagnostic checkups under one international patient system. The scale here is the selling point: patients get access to a wide bench of specialists and a support team accustomed to coordinating care for people arriving from dozens of countries.

3. Memorial Şişli Hospital

Memorial Şişli has a name built on handling the harder cases, including organ transplantation, cardiovascular surgery, and advanced oncology. It’s the kind of hospital patients turn to when a treatment plan needs more than a single consultation and a scheduled procedure. For medical tourists dealing with complex or multi-stage care, the depth of specialists available here is a real advantage over smaller, procedure-specific clinics.

4. Liv Hospital Ulus

Liv Hospital Ulus blends serious medical departments with a hospital experience that feels closer to a high-end hotel than a clinic. Orthopedics, neurology, women’s health, and fertility care are all handled here, and the guest-services layer around treatment tends to appeal to patients who want comfort and organization alongside clinical competence.

5. Koç University Hospital

Koç University Hospital operates with an academic backbone that separates it from most commercial medical tourism providers. Its ties to ongoing research and multidisciplinary case review make it a strong choice for patients dealing with complicated diagnoses, second opinions, or cases that benefit from several specialists weighing in together rather than a single surgeon’s recommendation.

6. American Hospital Istanbul

American Hospital carries decades of institutional trust, reinforced by its connection to the Mayo Clinic Care Network and its position within Koç Healthcare. Internal medicine, cardiology, and general surgery are core strengths, and its structured international patient program makes the process of arranging care from abroad noticeably smoother.

7. Group Florence Nightingale Hospitals

Florence Nightingale has been treating international patients for decades and runs a dedicated center specifically for that purpose. Cardiovascular care, oncology, and orthopedics are among its strongest departments, and the hospital group’s long track record with foreign patients means the logistics, from travel coordination to medical documentation, tend to be well handled.

8. Medicana International Istanbul

Medicana has built a reputation around making hospital-level care accessible to overseas patients without the process feeling overwhelming. Surgery, oncology, cardiology, and gynecology are all available under one roof, and the group’s international patient support has made it a familiar name in medical travel searches specifically because of how guided the experience feels from first inquiry to treatment.

9. Esteworld

Esteworld shifts the focus toward aesthetic and cosmetic medicine rather than general hospital care. Hair restoration, plastic surgery, dental aesthetics, and weight management make up its core offerings, appealing to patients whose trip is centered on appearance-related outcomes rather than complex medical treatment.

10. Istanbul Aesthetic Center

Rounding out the list, Istanbul Aesthetic Center serves a similar niche to Esteworld, with rhinoplasty, body contouring, breast surgery, and dental work alongside hair procedures. It suits patients who’ve already settled on a specific treatment and are comparing specialized providers rather than shopping for a full hospital experience.

Choosing the right fit

The best clinic depends entirely on what you’re traveling for. Patients focused on a single specialized procedure, hair restoration being the clearest example, tend to get better results from a dedicated specialist than from a general hospital handling it as one service among many. Patients dealing with complex or multi-department care are usually better served by the larger hospital groups on this list, where diagnostic depth and specialist backup matter more than narrow focus.

Whichever direction fits your situation, the fundamentals stay the same: verify surgeon or specialist credentials, ask for a full written treatment plan, confirm what’s included in the price, and make sure aftercare doesn’t end the moment you leave Turkey.

This article was written by

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Rodolphe Belmer
CEO & Chairman of the Board

Good evening, everyone, and thank you for joining us for our H1 results presentation. I’m Rodolphe Belmer, CEO of the group. And along with Mr. Pierre-Alain Gerard, we will walk you through the group’s performance for the first half of 2026 before we answer your questions.

Let’s start with the key highlights on Page #3. In H1 2026, the group maintained its clear leadership in linear, both in terms of audience and in terms of advertising market share despite a particularly competitive environment, notably with the Winter Olympics in Q1 and the Football World Cup in Q2. Second, our H1 results are in line with our full year targets for digital growth and profitability against a difficult advertising and a regulatory backdrop. Third, the level of COPA, which stood at EUR 77 million in H1, is above expectations and validates the choices we have made to safeguard profitability, notably regarding the Football World Cup. Lastly, the group maintained a solid financial position, which gives us flexibility to keep executing on our strategy. In an environment that remains volatile and offers limited visibility, we maintain our 2026 targets.

Let’s go now into more details into business review, starting with our Media and Studio segments, starting with Media on Page 6 of the document. In H1, the group maintained its linear leadership across commercial targets. And the TF1 channel, our flagship channel kept its significant lead over its main competitor. As I said, this performance is particularly noteworthy

Edited excerpts from a chat:

The five-day non-stop selling has revived concerns of a longer downturn in the market. What does the weekly candle indicate on where we are likely to end the July series?

The Nifty slipped from the consolidation on the daily chart on Thursday, with follow-up selling taking the index to 23600 on Friday. Besides, the index has fallen below the 50 EMA as well, confirming a new downtrend for the short term. The weekly chart looks more scary. Over the last four weeks, the Nifty has failed to rise above the 50-week EMA, as sellers remained strong at the higher levels while buyers remained fragmented. Now that the Nifty has closed at a several-week low, the chances of further weakening look imminent. Immediate support is placed at 23600. A fall below 23600 might trigger a severe correction, as investors would be running away, putting the Nifty at greater downside risk. On the higher end, 24000 will become the line of polarity. Unless the Nifty moves higher to reclaim 24000, the broader trend is likely to remain weak.

Banking stocks triggered the initial correction, but selling subsequently spread across sectors. Is Bank Nifty still leading the market lower, and where do you see its next support?

A few days back, the banking big boys were trading with their loud voices, especially ICICI Bank and SBI. But in the last two days, the scenario has changed, with the market being pulled down by stocks like HDFC Bank, SBI, and Axis Bank. The index has slipped below both the medium-term 200 DMA and the short-term 50 EMA. The RSI is in a bearish crossover and falling, indicating weakening momentum. The situation looks a bit weak, and banking stocks might weaken further, at least as long as the index remains below 57000. On the lower end, support is placed at 56000/55000.

India VIX moved higher as crude oil crossed $100 and foreign investors continued selling. What are the options data, open-interest structure and volatility indicators signalling for the coming week?

Panic rose as Brent Crude futures climbed above $100, sending India VIX above its 200 DMA. However, it was short-lived for the time being, as India VIX retreated due to some correction in crude oil prices. A short-term cap is placed at 15. The next round of panic might overwhelm the market if India VIX crosses above 15. Call writers have increased their positions at the 24000 and 23800 strikes, while put writers have shifted their positions down to the 23500 strike.

HDFC Bank ended the week over 9% lower after its earnings-triggered breakdown. Is the stock now technically oversold, or do the charts indicate another leg of downside?

The shares of HDFC Bank have given a breakdown from their recent consolidation as traders exited the stock following the quarterly earnings. The stock has corrected well below its 50 EMA, confirming deep short-term weakness. The stock has broken below its short- to mid-term support of 770. On the weekly chart, the stock is on the verge of falling to a 52-week low, while the weekly RSI has entered a bearish crossover. It looks weak, with the potential for further sharp cuts, and appears to be a good sell-on-rise stock.

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Bajaj Auto jumped more than 5% following its results, while M&M Financial Services surged nearly 8% in a session. Are these sustainable breakouts with scope for follow-through, or isolated earnings-driven spikes in a weak market?
Both the stocks have witnessed quality breakouts and look very good for further upside. Both the stocks are showing very strong chart structures. However, the overall market weakness might weigh on the individual stocks and hold them back from gaining in the short term. Once the sell-off subsides, these two stocks might resume their strong rally.

Give us your top ideas for the week ahead.

Buy LTM 4091 SL 3950 TGT 4300

The stock has formed an engulfing candle on the daily chart. The RSI is in a bullish crossover, indicating strong momentum. Besides, the price has risen above the 50 EMA on the daily timeframe. The stock looks good on the charts, with decent potential to rise towards 4300. On the lower end, support is placed at 3950.

Buy EMMVEE 331 SL 317 TGT 350

The stock has formed a bullish engulfing candle on the daily chart near the support of the 50 EMA, making the pattern more significant and indicating the possibility of a decent rally in the near term. The RSI is in a bullish crossover, indicating strong momentum. The stock looks promising on the charts, with the potential to rise towards 350. On the lower end, support is placed at 317.

Buy RRKABEL 2493 SL 2400 TGT 2650

The stock is in uptrend on the daily timeframe with higher top higher bottom formation. Besides, the price has been sustaining above 50EMA. The RSI is in bullish crossover and rising. The stock looks good on the charts, with decent potential to rise towards 2650. On the lower end, support is placed at 2400.

Wordle players closing out the week with Friday’s puzzle got a word that works both ways, one that greets and bids farewell in equal measure, drawing directly from Hawaiian culture and offering a welcome change of pace from more clinical five-letter answers.

The New York Times’ daily word game, which has become a fixture in millions of players’ morning routines since its 2022 acquisition by the Times, challenges solvers to guess a five-letter word in six tries or fewer, using color-coded feedback to narrow down the correct answer with each attempt.

The answer for July 25

The solution to Wordle #1862 is ALOHA, a word deeply associated with Hawaiian culture that functions as both a greeting and a farewell, commonly used to convey warmth, love, peace and goodwill. The word is frequently heard when welcoming visitors to the islands, but carries the same meaning when saying goodbye, a duality that sets it apart from most everyday English words.

Structurally, the puzzle offered a distinctive challenge: the word contains three vowels and only two consonants, along with four unique letters and one duplicated letter, the letter “A,” which appears at both the beginning and end of the word. That heavy vowel concentration made ALOHA a notably different kind of solve compared with more consonant-heavy recent puzzles, rewarding players who leaned into vowel-rich opening guesses.

A puzzle built around connection

Puzzle commentators described Friday’s word as fitting neatly into a broader theme running through the week’s editions, one centered on connection, teamwork and smooth transitions between ideas. Some players moved through the puzzle with relative ease once they zeroed in on the word’s Hawaiian cultural association, while others reported working through several unrelated guesses before the pattern of vowels and consonants clicked into place.

The word’s association with hospitality and goodwill offered a lighter, more culturally rich challenge than some of the week’s earlier puzzles, and its dual meaning as both a greeting and farewell added a layer of thematic resonance heading into the weekend.

How Wordle works

Wordle presents a fresh five-letter puzzle every 24 hours, resetting at midnight in each player’s local time zone. Players receive six total guesses, with color-coded tiles indicating how close each guess comes to the correct answer: green confirms a letter is both correct and correctly placed, yellow indicates a correct letter placed in the wrong position, and gray rules a letter out of the solution entirely.

Created by software engineer Josh Wardle as a personal project in 2021, the game quickly went viral before The New York Times acquired it in early 2022 and folded it into its broader digital games platform, which today also includes Connections, Strands, the Mini Crossword, Pips and Sudoku.

Strategy tips for future puzzles

Puzzle strategists commonly recommend starting with a word that balances frequently used vowels and consonants, such as R, S, T, N and L, to maximize the amount of information gained from an opening guess. Popular starting words that fit this approach include Adieu, Audio, Raise and Stone, each offering broad letter coverage without repeating overly common consonants in a single guess.

Watching for duplicate letters within a five-letter word, as Friday’s puzzle featured with its repeated “A,” remains a commonly overlooked pitfall for players narrowing down their final guesses. Recognizing frequent word endings, including “-ED,” “-ER” and “-Y,” can also help players close out a puzzle more efficiently in the later stages of a solve.

A cultural touchpoint beyond the puzzle itself

Beyond its function as a Wordle answer, ALOHA carries significant cultural weight in Hawaii, where it is understood to represent far more than a simple greeting or farewell. The word is often described as embodying a broader spirit of love, compassion and mutual respect, a concept sometimes referred to as the “Aloha Spirit,” which has even been codified into Hawaii state law as a guiding principle for how residents and visitors are expected to treat one another.

For Wordle players outside Hawaii, Friday’s puzzle offered a small window into that cultural context, turning a routine daily word game into an unintentional lesson in the layered meaning behind a word many players likely use casually without fully considering its origins.

A daily ritual for millions

Wordle’s continued popularity has often been attributed to its simplicity: one puzzle, six guesses, and a built-in sharing feature that lets players post their results on social media without spoiling the answer for others. That structure has helped the game become something closer to a shared daily ritual than a simple word puzzle, with friends, families and coworkers frequently comparing notes and streaks each morning.

Tracking performance over time

The Times’ companion analysis tool, Wordlebot, evaluates each day’s puzzle after players complete it, offering data on the average number of guesses needed to solve that day’s word, along with luck and skill scores meant to reflect how efficiently a player’s strategy aligned with the information available to them at each stage of the solve. Difficulty can vary considerably from one puzzle to the next depending on how common a word’s letter structure is relative to typical opening guesses.

A new Wordle puzzle will publish at midnight Saturday, continuing the franchise’s uninterrupted daily streak dating back to its 2021 launch. Players can access the game through the Times Games website or the NYT Games mobile app, available on both iOS and Android devices. For those who wrapped up Friday’s puzzle quickly thanks to ALOHA’s distinctive vowel pattern, or those who found the heavy vowel concentration more challenging than expected, a fresh five-letter word and a new opportunity to extend a personal streak awaits with Saturday’s reset.

“There’s an assumption that grandparents just babysit.

“My mum’s 82 and my dad’s 87 with quite advanced dementia, so it’s not as simple as sending the boys up to them for a couple of hours.”

Harriet thinks thought needs to be given to the way the school year is structured.

“Six weeks is a long period, especially for SEND children, because of the lack of routine. It makes it really difficult,” she said,

The Somerset Parent Carer Forum surveyed its members, and said it was a “recurring concern” that there is a struggle to find holiday activities.

“Too often, activities aren’t able to provide the support children need, or parents have to stay throughout, meaning they don’t receive the respite they desperately need,” said CEO Ruth Hobbs.

“School holidays should be a time for children to have fun and build friendships, while families have the opportunity to work or recharge.

“Single parents are one of my biggest worries at this period, as they don’t get a break,” she added.

Hobbs advised checking local authority websites, external, which publish lists of activities for SEND children, and social media.

She also said activities can get booked up far in advance, so recommended calling early to secure a spot.