TurkeyStemcell ("Clinic," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal and medical information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect information when you use our website, submit a consultation request, or receive treatment. By accessing our website or providing your information, you consent to the practices described below.
1. Information We Collect
We may collect the following categories of information:
- Personal identification: full name, email address, phone number, country of residence, nationality, date of birth, gender.
- Medical information: medical history, current diagnoses, medications, allergies, imaging, lab results, treatment history, and case details voluntarily shared for consultation, suitability review, and treatment planning.
- Travel information: passport details, visa status, travel dates, accommodation preferences, and transfer arrangements for international patients.
- Financial information: payment method details, billing information, transaction records, and invoice history for treatment and related services.
- Communication records: emails, WhatsApp messages, phone calls, video consultation notes, and correspondence with our medical and administrative team.
- Website usage data: IP address, browser type, device information, operating system, pages visited, referring URLs, time on page, click patterns, and cookies.
- Consent records: records of your acceptance of Terms of Service, Medical Disclaimer, informed consent forms, and related legal agreements.
2. Legal Basis for Processing
- Consent: you have given explicit consent for us to process your data, including medical data, for specific purposes such as suitability review and treatment coordination.
- Contractual necessity: processing is necessary to provide consultation, treatment, and aftercare services.
- Legitimate interest: processing is necessary for clinic operations, fraud prevention, service improvement, and dispute resolution, provided those interests do not override your rights.
- Legal obligation: processing is required to comply with applicable Turkish healthcare law, KVKK, tax law, and regulatory record-keeping requirements.
3. How We Use Your Information
- Reviewing medical suitability and preparing personalized treatment plans.
- Communicating with you about your inquiry, scheduling, travel, and follow-up care.
- Coordinating arrival, hotel, airport transfers, and translation support for international patients.
- Processing payments for consultation, treatment, and related services.
- Maintaining medical and administrative records as required by Turkish healthcare regulations.
- Preventing fraud, abuse, and chargeback misuse.
- Improving our website, content, and patient experience.
- Responding to lawful requests from courts, regulators, or public authorities.
4. Information Sharing and Disclosure
We share information only as necessary, with the following categories of recipients:
- Treating physicians and clinical staff involved in your care.
- Accredited laboratories and imaging providers required to perform pre-treatment or post-treatment testing.
- Travel and hospitality partners strictly for booking accommodations and transfers (logistical details only).
- Payment processors and financial institutions to process payments and manage disputes securely.
- Professional advisors such as legal counsel, accountants, and auditors, bound by confidentiality.
- Legal and regulatory authorities when required by law, regulation, subpoena, or court order.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal or medical information to third parties for marketing purposes.
5. Compliance with Turkish Law (KVKK) and GDPR
Personal and medical data are processed in accordance with the Turkish Personal Data Protection Law (KVKK No. 6698). Where applicable, we also align with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for patients residing in the European Union and European Economic Area. Medical data is treated as a special category of personal data and handled with the heightened safeguards required by these frameworks.
6. International Data Transfers
If you contact us from outside Türkiye, your information will be transferred to and processed in Türkiye, where data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction. By engaging with our services and submitting your information, you explicitly consent to such international transfers. We take reasonable steps to ensure your data remains protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable law.
7. Data Security
We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include access controls, encryption in transit where appropriate, secure communication channels, restricted physical access to records, and staff training on data handling and patient confidentiality. No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Data Retention
We retain personal and medical data for as long as necessary to:
- Provide ongoing and follow-up care.
- Comply with Turkish healthcare, tax, and regulatory record-keeping obligations.
- Resolve disputes and enforce our agreements.
- Defend against potential legal claims.
When data is no longer required for these purposes, it is securely deleted or anonymized in accordance with applicable law.
9. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Request deletion of your data, subject to legal retention requirements and ongoing care obligations.
- Restrict or object to certain processing activities.
- Request portability of data you provided to us in a structured, machine-readable format.
- Withdraw consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing prior to withdrawal.
To exercise these rights, contact us at info@turkeystemcell.com. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe and in compliance with applicable law. We may require verification of identity before processing certain requests.
10. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to operate the site, analyze traffic, and improve user experience. You can manage cookie preferences in your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.
11. Third-Party Links
Our website may link to third-party sites or services that we do not operate. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of those external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party site you visit.
12. Children's Privacy
Our services are not directed at individuals under the age of 18 acting on their own behalf. Pediatric treatment requests must be submitted by a parent or legal guardian who consents to the processing of the minor's medical information for the purpose of clinical review and care.
13. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. Updates are posted on this page with a new revision date. Continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
14. Complaints
If you have concerns about how your data is processed, please contact us first at info@turkeystemcell.com. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may have the right to lodge a complaint with the Turkish Personal Data Protection Authority (KVKK) or the supervisory authority in your jurisdiction.
15. Contact
For privacy-related inquiries, please contact:
TurkeyStemcell
Email: info@turkeystemcell.com
Address: Suadiye, Bağdat Cad. No: 393 Kat: 1, 34740 Kadıköy / Istanbul, Türkiye
TurkeyStemcell is a regenerative medicine clinic operating in Istanbul, Türkiye under Turkish healthcare regulations. All medical care is delivered by licensed physicians under physician supervision. This document is intended for informational and legal disclosure purposes and does not replace individualized medical advice.