Excerpt from "Report instigated 3-children proposal"

When a younger population means trouble

However, others assert that having more and more children could spell serious trouble. For one thing, Turkey is faced with many challenges in reproductive health.

Ankara-based Turkish Family Health Association (TAPD) Chairman Hakan Şatıroğlu agrees that Turkey's health sector has improved in the past few years, noting that the infant mortality rate has dropped below 25 per 1,000 births. However, he said it remained high in comparison with its neighbors. "Infant mortality is seven per 1,000 in Bulgaria and five per 1,000 in Greece. Maternal mortality in Turkey is 28 per 1,000, whereas this figure is around three per 1,000 in Greece. This all means we still have significant ground to cover in maternal and infant healthcare," he said.

The government's ongoing efforts to improve prenatal care and promote breastfeeding have had profound effects on infant and under-age-five mortality rates, with infant mortality having dropped to 24 per 1,000 births in Turkey in 2006, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

According to information posted on the World Health Organization's (WHO) Web site, maternal death is defined as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of the termination of a pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.

The major direct causes of maternal mortality include hemorrhage, infection, high blood pressure, unsafe abortion and obstructed labor.

"We are proud of our economic development, we are proud that our economy is ranked the 17th largest in the world, but we rank as 77th in health on the WHO list in terms of quality of health services."