Consanguineous Marriages Must End For Healthy Babies

Consanguineous marriages are a practice that has been continuing in Turkey for years and has become traditional and almost compulsory for various reasons. In scientific studies conducted in the GAP region by the Parasitology Association of Turkey and the Departments of Public Health of various universities, the rate of consanguineous marriages in Diyarbakır province was found to be 47.6%. In other words, almost half of all marriages in Diyarbakır are arranged between relatives.

As can be predicted, babies born as a result of consanguineous marriages are born with diseases, orthopedic and intellectual disabilities, or other medical abnormalities. These babies are often born with illnesses or disabilities, sometimes with dire consequences.

9 Out Of 100 Babies Born From Consanguineous Marriages Are Disabled Or Diseased

The parents and children of patients who participate in surveys on this issue are very sad:

“We regret having such a marriage. Our parents decided and married us without asking us. If I had the mind I have today, I would never have gotten married with a relative.”

“Mom and Dad, why didn’t you think about your future children when you made consanguineous marriages, what was my sin?“

As Salih Tatlıcı Foundation, we donated to LÖSEV‘s “Let the Daughters of Other Families Be My Brides” campaign, which aims to reduce consanguineous marriages all over Turkey by touching a raw nerve.

As Salih Tatlıcı Foundation, we will continue to support public and non-governmental organizations that develop projects to reduce consanguineous marriages all over Turkey and set an example for the whole world.

What is consanguineous marriage?

A consanguineous marriage is when the spouses (husband and wife) are related by blood, that is, they are descended from the same close ancestor.

In consanguineous marriages, there is no distinction between the mother’s side and the father’s side, both are considered consanguineous marriages.

Consanguineous marriages are also divided into two parts. First-degree consanguineous marriages and second-degree consanguineous marriages.

First-degree consanguineous marriages are marriages that occur when cousins marry each other.

Second-degree consanguineous marriages are marriages between grandchildren.

All the characteristics of babies are passed on through a carrier of inheritance called a gene, which comes from both the mother and the father. The inherited (hereditary) characteristics passed on to children through genes can be either PROMINENT (Dominant), for example, black hair color is dominant over blonde hair color. Or they can be recessive, e.g. the yellow hair color gene that is recessive in both the mother and the father can occur in the child.

Prevalence and Causes of Consanguineous Marriage

The main reason behind the popularity of consanguineous marriage is double-sided.

First, consanguineous marriage ensures that property or monetary assets remain within a family. It is meant to prevent the disintegration of people’s territorial and property integrity. Marriage between relatives is considered a right to avoid the fragmentation of property, land, or heritage.

Second, it provides a sense of “individual security” for parents who want to see their sons or daughters marry “trusted spouses” and not strangers.

But the dangers and harms of consanguineous marriage vastly outweigh its benefits: In contrast to the few potential social and cultural benefits, the genetics of consanguineous marriage pose an increased risk of birth defects and genetic disorders in children of consanguineous marriages, due to the creation of autosomal recessive diseases and syndromes that will be inherited by the offspring.

What Is Congenital Hereditary Disease?

These are diseases that are passed on to the child in the womb if the parents are carriers of the disease.

What Is A Disease Carrier?

This is a person who secretly carries the disease gene and passes it on to his/her child, even though he/she is not sick himself/herself. In the case of a marriage between two carriers, two ineffective genes come together and affect the baby in the womb and the child is born sick.

How Is A Disease Carrier Identified?

Carriers of many blood diseases can be detected with a very simple blood test.

LÖSEV – Children With Leukaemia Health And Education Foundation

LÖSEV – Children with Leukaemia Health and Education Foundation was established in 1998. In 2000, LÖSANTE, Turkey’s first and only Hospital for Children with Leukaemia, in 2008, the School for Children with Leukaemia, where children with leukaemia can receive a free college education, and in 2010, the Village for Children with Leukaemia, where families coming from outside Ankara for their treatment can stay for long or short periods during their treatment, were put into operation. During this period, LÖSEV raised awareness not only among children with leukaemia and cancer patients, but also among the whole of Turkey about leukaemia, cancer and prevention methods, and continued to create deep-rooted solutions and provide social and permanent services.

In 2015, LÖSANTE, Europe’s first and Turkey’s most well-equipped Children with Leukaemia City and a multidisciplinary hospital, was brought to our country with the motto “humanity should not die and people should not die”.

The donations and aid projects mentioned here were made by the founders of our Foundation, Nurten Tatlıcı and her son Uğur Tatlıcı, in memory of the late Salih Tatlıcı, the benevolent person whose name continues to live on through our Foundation and whom they bid farewell in journey to eternity in 2009.

Our Foundation’s Newly Built Water Fountain in Africa Entered Into Service

Women in Africa travel an average of 6 kilometers for water. The fate of Kumba, who had to travel every day to bring water to her house, changed with the fountain in front of her house. Kumba is now very happy. She has much more time to spend with her children and family.

As Salih Tatlıcı Foundation, we built a water fountain in Mkwajuni Village of Tanzania in Africa in cooperation with IDEA Universal Association, which carries out innovative and scientific projects to sustainably solve the water, food, energy, and education problems of the world.

Thus, 249 people living in 63 households in Tanzania now have permanent access to clean water. Life in Mkwajuni Village has become easier, equal, and fair.

IDEA Universal Association presented a certificate of appreciation to our Foundation for the donation.

800 Million People in the World Do Not Have Access to Clean Water

Water is vital for every living being. But 800 million people in penurious regions around the world do not have access to clean water. This is a population 10 times the size of Turkey. The vast majority of these people live in rural areas in Asia and Africa and often have to walk for hours for water from streams and lakes that are not even clean.

The journey to carry water, often made by women and children, barefoot, involves dozens of dangers. Attacks by wild animals, the risk of pregnant women losing their babies, and rape are just a few of them. Children cannot build a future for themselves because they have to spend their school time on the water journey. Epidemics afflict these already poor people. Families cannot farm due to a lack of water and cannot produce enough food for themselves. They cannot recover from the cycle of hunger and poverty.

Polluted water takes more lives than all the wars and violence in the world. 43% of these casualties are children under the age of 5. But when we do a water project in a village like this, everything begins to transform. People who access clean water for 12 hours a day from the fountains in front of their houses and schools recover their health, start agriculture, and girls do not have to interrupt their education on special days.

Briefly, water transforms everything.

IDEA Universal (International Development and Environment Association) 

IDEA Universal (International Development and Environment Association) was founded in 2016 by volunteers who dream of a better, fair, egalitarian, and peaceful earth under the leadership of Hayri Dağlı. The IDEA Universal Association, which considers the people living in forgotten geographies struggling with hunger and poverty and the best interests of the environment; has adopted the principles of transparency, participation, accountability, impartiality, and independence as a priority.

It carries out innovative and scientific projects to sustainably solve the world’s water, food, energy, and education problems. It realizes these projects in a need-oriented, permanent, and sustainable manner by acting together with local people. IDEA Universal Association works in cooperation with many international and national non-governmental organizations, including local governments, in its projects and activities. As of 2021, it has provided sustainable clean water, food, energy, education, and income to 200,000 people in Tanzania, Madagascar, Nepal, Senegal, Gambia, and Turkey.
The donations and aid projects mentioned here were made by the founders of our Foundation, Nurten Tatlıcı and her son Uğur Tatlıcı, in memory of the late Salih Tatlıcı, the benevolent person whose name continues to live on through our Foundation and whom they bid farewell in journey to eternity in 2009.

Physically Disabled Children Received Battery Powered Chairs

Salih Tatlıcı Foundation has donated functional battery-powered chairs to physically disabled children through BEDD (Solidarity Association for the Physically Disabled), which called for urgent help for the wheelchairs to remove the obstacles in front of the disabled children’s participation in social life.

We Stand By All Our Disabled Children Who Hold On To Life With The Joy Of Living

Regarding the donation, Uğur Tatlıcı, Executive Board Member of our Foundation, said: “As part of the cooperation developed with the Solidarity Association for the Physically Disabled, we have donated battery-powered chairs to meet the wheelchair needs of our orthopedically disabled children, in addition to the support we have previously provided as a Foundation to the charitable activities of the very same association. We will always continue to support all efforts to make the lives of our disabled children easier.“

The Solidarity Association for the Physically Disabled (BEDD) with a History of Approximately 30 Years

BEDD was founded on 20 July 1993 as a charity association in order to provide social solidarity by contributing to the education and health needs of all orthopedically disabled citizens of the Republic of Turkey. It aims to provide the necessary support for disabled citizens within its body regardless of religion, language, race, region and gender.

It has become a pioneering association in Turkey in breaking down barriers with the activities it carries out. As one of the top twenty most well-known and trusted non-governmental organisations of Turkey, it aims to serve more disabled citizens. It focuses on providing treatment, assistance and education opportunities to physically disabled children and young people, and pioneers their active participation in social life with awareness-raising of their families and society in general.

The number of disabled citizens living in Turkey is approximately over 13 million. BEDD delivered wheelchairs suitable for their needs to approximately 45,185 disabled people since 1993 when it was founded to enable disabled individuals to participate in life. Wheelchair choices should be made individually. Each chair may not be suitable for every needy person. In order for these chairs to facilitate the life of the disabled, their sizes, designs, and features must be completely personalized. Therefore, BEDD carries out comprehensive studies about the people in need of wheelchair distributions and performs studies to provide the vehicle suitable for the structure of the individual disability. In this way, supporters help in peace, knowing that their individual or institutional wheelchair donations are delivered to the right people and in the most useful way.

These wheelchairs are delivered to disabled people in need at distribution ceremonies organized in 81 provinces across the country in cooperation with Governorships, District Governorships, or Municipalities.
The donations and aid projects mentioned here were made by the founders of our Foundation, Nurten Tatlıcı and her son Uğur Tatlıcı, in memory of the late Salih Tatlıcı, the benevolent person whose name continues to live on through our Foundation and whom they bid farewell in journey to eternity in 2009.

Iftar and Sahur Catering during Ramadan

As Salih Tatlıcı Foundation, we served iftar and sahur to our brothers and sisters in need in the earthquake region, which was centered in Kahramanmaraş and affected 10 provinces, during Ramadan through the Turkish Religious Foundation, which gives hope to those in need without discriminating religion, language, color, and gender with its work all over the world.

We wish mercy to all our citizens who lost their lives in the earthquake, condolences to their relatives, and recovery to the injured.

Our Foundation, which aims to make goodness prevail on earth, continues to provide material and moral support to people and institutions that strive in this way.

We hope that the month of Ramadan, the month of abundance, mercy, and forgiveness, will enable all of us to approach each other with love, respect, and tolerance and that it will be a blessing for our country and the entire Islamic world, and we wish you a Ramadan full of peace and abundance that you will spend with your loved ones.

Turkey Religious Foundation

The Turkish Religious Foundation is a movement of goodness that works with the motto “The most beneficial of people is the one who is most beneficial to people” with the aim of being at the service of all humanity. The foundation tradition is a gift of Islamic civilization to humanity. As a continuation of this circle of goodness, the Turkish Religious Foundation was established on March 13, 1975, by the then President of Religious Affairs Dr. Lütfi Doğan, Deputy Presidents of Religious Affairs Dr. Tayyar Altıkulaç and Yakup Üstün and Director of Personnel Affairs Ahmet Uzunoğlu.

The Turkish Religious Foundation, which has become an international foundation with the strong support of our benefactor nation and the diligent work of the people who devote their hearts to our foundation, gives hope to those in need without discriminating religion, language, color, and gender with its work all over the world.

Attaching importance to social peace and tranquility and every activity towards the religious, social, and cultural development of the society, the Turkish Religious Foundation acts with the aim and purpose of making goodness prevail on earth and the goal of being a foundation in the service of humanity in our country and on seven continents. The foundation, which extends the helping hand of our nation to millions of people in crisis regions where hunger, natural disasters, war, and violence are experienced in different geographies of the world, carries the happiness of the feast to wide geographies with the iftar tables it sets up during Ramadan and the sacrifice organization by proxy during the Feast of Sacrifice.
The donations and aid projects mentioned here were made by the founders of our Foundation, Nurten Tatlıcı and her son Uğur Tatlıcı, in memory of the late Salih Tatlıcı, the benevolent person whose name continues to live on through our Foundation and whom they bid farewell in journey to eternity in 2009.

Support for Our Children from Our Foundation

Salih Tatlici Foundation donated to all kinds of needs of children staying in Children’s Shelters under the General Directorate of Child Services of the Ministry of Family and Social Services of the Republic of Turkey, which operates with the vision of making our country a role model country with children who can carry their dreams to reality, their happiness to their faces and their voices to the pulpit.

Innocent Children Are The Biggest Victims Of Natural Disasters

Regarding the donation, Uğur Tatlıcı, Executive Board Member of our Foundation, said: “Natural disasters leave great and devastating traces in human life. They cause a large number of losses of life and property. They create psychological, economic, and social destruction. The great earthquake and the subsequent flood disaster in the southeastern provinces of our country left behind tearful innocent children who lost their mothers, fathers, and even their whole families. As always, our State will extend its compassionate hand and take these children under the protection of our State, enabling them to be raised and educated in a healthy environment. As the Salih Tatlici Foundation, we have also supported our Ministry.”

Republic of Turkey Ministry of Family and Social Services General Directorate of Child Services

Its mission is to realize its vision within the framework of our deep-rooted state experience, vast cultural and civilizational accumulation, universal principles of law, national plans and policies, and social change and development.

Its main principles are guided by reason and science;

  • Adhering to human rights, children’s rights, universal principles of law, and legislation.
  • Within the framework of the best interest of the child; providing sustainable services based on scientific data by observing national and moral values.
  • Being impartial, transparent, fair, accountable, and open to cooperation.
  • Making effective use of technological opportunities.
  • Being based on development and change, total quality and satisfaction in service delivery.
  • Displaying performance-oriented management
The donations and aid projects mentioned here were made by the founders of our Foundation, Nurten Tatlıcı and her son Uğur Tatlıcı, in memory of the late Salih Tatlıcı, the benevolent person whose name continues to live on through our Foundation and whom they bid farewell in journey to eternity in 2009.

Support to Médecins Sans Frontiéres from our Foundation

As Salih Tatlıcı Foundation, on the occasion of “March 14th Medical Day”, we have donated to “Médecins Sans Frontiéres – Doctors Without Borders”, a non-profit, international, independent medical and humanitarian relief organization that provides medical assistance to people affected by conflicts, epidemics, and natural disasters all over the world.

We Celebrate the Medical Day of All Health Workers, Especially Our Physicians

Uğur Tatlıcı, Executive Board Member of our Foundation, said: “We are grateful to all health workers who rushed to the relief of people with devotion and determination without discrimination of religion, language, race, gender, sect, without separating day and night, snow and mud, vacation and holiday, first in the pandemic we experienced in our country and all over the world, and then in the great earthquake disaster that occurred in our country on February 6, 2023. We celebrate the March 14th Medical Day of all our supreme-hearted physicians and health workers. We also sincerely thank all the world’s physicians and health workers, especially the Doctors Without Borders organization, who rushed to medical relief due to the great earthquake disaster we experienced as a country.“

“Médecins Sans Frontiéres – Doctors Without Borders”

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was founded in Paris in 1971 by a group of journalists and doctors. Today, it is an independent worldwide movement of around 63,000 people. Their teams are made up of tens of thousands of health professionals, logistics, and administrative staff who are bound by their statutes. The principles of medical ethics, independence, and impartiality guide their actions. It is a non-profit, self-governing, member-based organization. MSF provides assistance to populations in distress, victims of natural or man-made disasters, and victims of armed conflict. They do so regardless of race, religion, beliefs, or political convictions. In the name of universal medical ethics and the right to humanitarian assistance, MSF observes impartiality and neutrality and demands full and unhindered freedom in the exercise of its functions. Members commit to respecting the code of professional ethics and maintaining complete independence from all political, economic, or religious forces. As volunteers, members understand the risks and dangers of the tasks they carry out and make no claims for themselves or their appointees for any compensation that the association can afford.

The donations and aid projects mentioned here were made by the founders of our Foundation, Nurten Tatlıcı and her son Uğur Tatlıcı, in memory of the late Salih Tatlıcı, the benevolent person whose name continues to live on through our Foundation and whom they bid farewell in journey to eternity in 2009.

Support From Our Foundation To The Foundation For Women’s Solidarity

As Salih Tatlıcı Foundation, on the occasion of “8 March International Women’s Day“, we have donated to the “Foundation for Women’s Solidarity“, which has the vision of creating an equal and free world, is committed to combating all kinds of violence against women based on gender inequality, strengthening and spreading women’s solidarity in the face of violence.

“Happy Women’s Day to All Women Who Make the World Beautiful”

Regarding the donation, Uğur Tatlıcı, Executive Board Member of our Foundation, said: “Women are the most important values of society. All women in the world and our country deserve to be carried on the shoulders rather than being subjected to violence, excluded, belittled, and marginalized. Women are symbols of power, love, and tolerance. We must provide all kinds of support to increase the value and success of all women. As the Foundation, we wholeheartedly celebrate this meaningful day of all women.”

Foundation for Women’s Solidarity

Since its official foundation in 1993, the Foundation for Women’s Solidarity is an independent women’s organization that aims to combat all kinds of violence against women through women’s solidarity, builds solidarity with women who have been subjected to violence, and works with feminist principles.

The foundation has its origins in the “Women’s Debate Group” formed by a group of activist women in Ankara in 1987. This group is of great importance in the history of the women’s movement as it regularly came together in consciousness-raising meetings, shared experiences of womanhood, and helped raise awareness about the prevalence of violence against women. Following the experiences accumulated at these meetings, steps were taken to address the need to open a Women’s Counselling Centre where women exposed to violence could receive free support. The first of these steps was the first “Women’s Counselling Centre” in Ankara, which opened in 1991 in cooperation with a municipality.

The Foundation for Women’s Solidarity contributes to social change to end the legitimacy of violence against women by creating pressure on women’s human rights through its public and media activities. It also carries out awareness-raising activities on combating violence against women through various training programs for women who apply to the Women’s Counselling Centre, volunteers of the Foundation, and professional staff. The Foundation generates financial resources through donations and member contributions from various institutions, organizations, and individuals, sustains its existence with the support of volunteer employees and carries out public information and advocacy activities on violence against women.
The donations and aid projects mentioned here were made by the founders of our Foundation, Nurten Tatlıcı and her son Uğur Tatlıcı, in memory of the late Salih Tatlıcı, the benevolent person whose name continues to live on through our Foundation and whom they bid farewell in journey to eternity in 2009.

Our Foundation Supports Children in Need in our Neighbour Greece

As Salih Tatlıcı Foundation, we have donated to “Together for Children – Mazi Gia To Paidi” Association, a non-profit non-governmental organization consisting of nine member organizations working in the field of child welfare to provide immediate and effective support to children, families, and disabled individuals in need in our neighbor Greece.

We are Stronger Together

Regarding the donation, Uğur Tatlıcı, Executive Board Member of our Foundation, said: “As you know, the whole world came to the aid of our people in the great earthquake disaster our country encountered this year. Last week, many young people lost their lives and were injured and maimed in a train accident in our neighbor Greece. As the Foundation, we have donated to the “Mazi Gia To Paidi” association in neighboring Greece to help children, adolescents, and families regardless of their gender, nationality, ethnic origin, religious status, beliefs, disabilities, age, or sexual orientation.“

“Together for Children” Association

Founded in 1996 in Greece, “Together for Children – Mazi Gia To Paidi” (Together for Children) Association is a non-profit, non-governmental organization consisting of nine member organizations working in the field of child welfare.

The association assists more than 30,000 vulnerable children a year – regardless of race, religion, and political opinion – who face poverty, social exclusion, domestic violence, chronic illness, mental or physical disabilities, or illness or death in the close family.

In cooperation with other international organizations, the association and its members are pioneers in the development and sharing of good practices as well as in the promotion of scientific research on children and young people in need. The services offered at their non-profit facilities are of high quality and often qualify as case studies in their field.

In 2016, the Association was honored with the Silver Medal of the Academy of Athens for its social contribution, while in 2019 it was awarded a BRAVO Award as a result of its engagement with thousands of citizens in support of the initiative “Equal opportunities for children: Health and Education Actions in remote areas of Greece”.

The donations and aid projects mentioned here were made by the founders of our Foundation, Nurten Tatlıcı and her son Uğur Tatlıcı, in memory of the late Salih Tatlıcı, the benevolent person whose name continues to live on through our Foundation and whom they bid farewell in journey to eternity in 2009.

Special Living Containers Delivered to the Earthquake Region

Salih Tatlıcı Foundation had ordered “Earthquake Region Special Living Containers” in February to meet the shelter needs of our citizens whose houses were destroyed due to the great earthquake disaster in our country and who have to live on the street.

The production of the living containers we ordered has been completed last week and they have been delivered by trucks to Nurdağı district of Gaziantep.

In the annex of our announcement, you can find the visuals of our containers that have been shipped and unloaded to the earthquake zone.

As Salih Tatlıcı Foundation, we will continue our support to bind up the wounds of the disaster of the century.

We wish mercy to our citizens who lost their lives in the earthquake, condolences to their relatives, and a speedy recovery to the injured.

 

Salih Tatlıcı Foundation
The donations and aid projects mentioned here were made by the founders of our Foundation, Nurten Tatlıcı and her son Uğur Tatlıcı, in memory of the late Salih Tatlıcı, the benevolent person whose name continues to live on through our Foundation and whom they bid farewell in journey to eternity in 2009.

Our Living Containers Are On Their Way To Be Delivered To The Earthquake Region

Salih Tatlıcı Foundation had placed an order for “Earthquake Region Special Living Containers” in February to meet the shelter needs of our citizens whose houses were destroyed due to the great earthquake disaster in our country and who had to live on the street.

The production of the living containers we ordered has been completed and set out to be shipped to the Nurdağı district of Gaziantep by trucks.

You can find the visuals of our containers loaded on trucks in the annex of our announcement.

As Salih Tatlıcı Foundation, we will continue our support to bind up the wounds of the disaster of the century.

We wish mercy to our citizens who lost their lives in the earthquake, condolences to their relatives, and a speedy recovery to the injured.

 

Salih Tatlıcı Foundation
The donations and aid projects mentioned here were made by the founders of our Foundation, Nurten Tatlıcı and her son Uğur Tatlıcı, in memory of the late Salih Tatlıcı, the benevolent person whose name continues to live on through our Foundation and whom they bid farewell in journey to eternity in 2009.