The Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) collected more than 1.2 million units of blood during the first five months of 2026, highlighting the continued contribution of voluntary donors to Türkiye's national blood supply system.
The organization released the figures on Sunday to mark World Blood Donor Day, observed annually on June 14 in honor of Nobel Prize-winning scientist Karl Landsteiner, whose discovery of the ABO blood group system transformed modern medicine.
According to Kızılay, 1,246,400 units of blood were donated between January and May this year with the support of 1,197,512 regular donors.
Young people played a significant role in the donation effort, with individuals aged 18 to 24 accounting for 21% of all blood donors during the period. Men represented 85% of donors, while women made up 15%.
The organization said voluntary and regular blood donors remain the backbone of Türkiye's blood supply network, helping ensure hospitals have access to safe blood products for patients requiring emergency treatment, surgeries and ongoing medical care.
