About 250.000 Turkish citizens have quit smoking with the help of 'Alo 171', a telephone line that connects smokers with health officials who help them quit; the figure represents one third of the total number of calls, 700.000

President Erdogan, who is seeking to extend his two decades in power, formally scheduled the country's parliamentary and presidential elections for 14 May, a month earlier than expected despite last month's devastating earthquake

The death toll from last month's devastating earthquake has exceeded 45.000 in Turkey only, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority said, while geologists warned that another strong tremor could hit the country's industrial northwest

A 6.4 earthquake hit the Turkey-Syria border region yesterday and over 5.000 aftershocks were registered since 6 February; Mehmet Kokum, assistant professor of geology based in Elazig, said aftershocks will last from months to years

The death toll of the earthquake that shook Turkey and Syria grows by the hour, with shocks of up to 7,9 along a fracture of more than 150 km; in history, such a strong tremor in that area occurred in 859 a.D.