Approximately 5 million people suffer from serious diseases defined as rare, occurring in one in 2.000 individuals or less, said a senior executive of a Turkish pharmaceutical company; one of the causes could be frequent consanguineous marriages

President Erdogan visited Iraq to sign security and development agreements and for more cooperation in the fight against Kurdish PKK militants in northern Iraq; Erdogan's last visit to Iraq was in 2011, when he was prime minister

The Turkish government announced that it will restrict exports of 54 categories of products - including jet fuel, construction equipment, cement, chemicals, pesticides, and bricks - to Israel until the Netanyahu government proclaims a cease-fire

Turkey has joined the countries with the most afforestation, ranking first in Europe and fourth in the world, according to recent FAO figures