Application of medical genetics in Turkey.

Turkey is among the most populous countries of the world, and has a young population structure. The rate of consanguinity has been approximately 20-25% for the last 25 years. Various studies have shown that high consanguinity can be a contributing factor to the high incidence of some rare autosomal recessive diseases. Hemoglobinopathies are an important health problem, and Turkey also has one of the highest incidences of phenylketonuria in the world. Training and education in medical genetics, established as a specialty since 1972, play an important role in the setting of genetic services and meeting public health problems. Prenatal and preimplantation diagnosis is available for a variety of fetal diseases.