FY 1997 Program. The second largest program supports a focused population assistance program, which is guided by a five-year strategy. The strategy calls for a rational phase-over of activities to the GOT and the private sector by the end of the century. The strategy supports the U.S. Embassy's interest in broadening the bilateral US-Turkey relationship beyond military cooperation. Social Stabilization Population issues are developing into a major priority of the GOT, given that its current population of almost 61 million is expected to double by the year 2025.
Surveys show that Turkish couples use less reliable traditional methods.
Recently, the Government of Turkey has demonstrated a sense of commitment to reducing population growth. The project works to train counselors and care providers to improve their quality of services and depth of knowledge. It seeks to expand access to services by integrating them into existing health care delivery networks. The program, implemented by a number of U.S. Cooperating Agencies, has seen many gains. The MOH adopted the first- ever national family planning guidelines and operates model family planning clinics throughout the country.