Turkish Agency Offers 'Abortion Tourism' in Sarajevo

Turkish tour operator, the Barracuda Tour, organises trips to the Bosnian capital Sarajevo and offers a “city tour, three nights stay and an abortion” for $600, reports the Banja Luka-based daily newspaper Nezavisne Novine.

Women are also given time to convalesce after the abortion so they can, “return home, as if nothing happened,” the newspapers report.

According to the tour operator, 16 Turkish women booked the ‘abortion city break’ in various countries, including three bookings for Sarajevo.

Allegedly, the clinics that perform abortions only require medical reports from Turkey, and the Barracuda Tour can organise appointments in different places including Cyprus and the UK.

Cem Polatoglu, the owner of the agency, says that for years his company has been specialising in medical tourism.

“All women who use our services are under 35 years old,” Polatoglu said, “We receive calls from all across Turkey, but mainly from Istanbul.”

“They have abortions outside of the country because they do not want their families or friends to judge them,” Polatoglu said.

A similar offer in Crimea, Ukraine costs $370, and the most expensive option is in England and costs $1,873.