Diabetes patients rise in Turkey, doctors say

Five-hundred demonstrators gathered in Istanbul’s Tünel Square at 11 a.m. on Nov. 13 to mark World Diabetes Day and draw attention to a disorder that is rapidly spreading in Turkey, according to the head of the Turkish Diabetes Foundation.

“We have already reached figures for diabetes sufferers we were expecting to reach by the year 2025. Our aim in this demonstration is to create awareness in society regarding this disease,” Professor Temel Yılmaz, the head of the Turkish Diabetes Foundation, told members of press.

The number of patients afflicted with diabetes in Turkey has increased at a rate of 100 percent over the preceding decade, Yılmaz said, adding that 10 million Turkish citizens either had diabetes or ran the risk of contracting it.

“[Diabetes] is rooted in the new life model presented by the 21st century. The source of diabetes is related to an inactive lifestyle, hours spent in front of a computer or television, irregular eating habits and eating fast,” Yılmaz said.