Legalized in 1983, abortion had never been a hot-button issue in Turkish politics until May 25, 2012, when Prime Minister Erdoğan unexpectedly stated that he considered abortion as a murderous act, and that “no one should have a right to allow it.” These words, quickly taken up by others, initiated a fiery debate about reproductive health practices extending from abortion to c-sections and morning-after pills. While all members of the ruling Justice and Development Party who spoke up at the time, including Erdoğan himself, reiterated that abortion law would be altered to either restrict access to or delegalise abortion, throughout the two and a half years that have passed since, no concrete step has been taken in that direction. As a result, even though the legal status of abortion or any other fertility-related health practice has not formally altered, anticipation of legal change created ambiguity around these practices. Professional medical associations and women’s organizations report that abortion moved beyond the reach of many women in Turkey, not to mention other difficulties they come across as they seek control over their fertility. This paper explores how the ambiguity generated around the legal status of reproductive health services itself effectively regulates medical and social practices and attaches new meanings to them. In doing so, on the one hand, it analyses the ways that law ‘matters’ in the absence of any actual legal intervention, such as a legislative change or a lawsuit. On the other hand, it sheds light onto the ramifications of the struggles around reproductive health practices with respect to practices of democratic inclusion in Turkey, especially with regards to gender.