Euthanasia in the context of human rights

Euthanasia is a concept that concerns branches of science such as medicine and law, and also includes philosophical, conscientious and religious dimensions. In general, it can be defined as the painless termination of the lives of individuals who are suffering from an incurable disease and whose chance of recovery is not possible with modern medical methods, with their own consent or with the approval of their relatives. Euthanasia, also known by different expressions such as "compassionate death", "merciful death", "good death" and "assisted suicide", has led to intense discussions on ethical and legal levels, as it directly affects issues such as the right to life, individual autonomy and the prevention of suffering in the context of fundamental human rights. While euthanasia is regulated by law under certain conditions in some countries in the world, it is strictly prohibited in others. This situation reveals that ethical and legal approaches to euthanasia differ on an international scale. In this study, first of all, a general assessment of the history of euthanasia was made, then the definition and types of euthanasia were discussed, and finally, the subject of euthanasia was examined in detail from a human rights perspective.