The Republic of Turkey has a population of 67.4 million (year 2000) and covers 783 563 km2; administratively it is divided into 81 provinces. A few national statistics from 2000 are: infant death rate 41.9/1000; life expectancy at birth 68 years; unemployment rate 6.6%; gross national product (GNP) per capita US$2965; and adult literacy rate 87.32% (females 80.64%; males 93.86%) (State Statistics Institute, 2003).

Turkey is going through a period of continuous transition. Geographically, the country is a bridge between Asia and Europe (for this reason it has historically been a path for invasions and cultural exchanges) and therefore between the Western world and the Middle East. It is a secular republic but a large majority of the population is Islamic, and it is the only country with these features in NATO and Europe.

Even physically the land is in continuous transition – it is not stable and suffers great damage from earthquakes almost every four or five years, the largest in recent times being on 17 August 1999 in the Marmara region. The state of change is reflected in daily life as well. For example, the traditional, extended family structure is transforming into the more nuclear type. Some traditional national characteristics are being challenged. ‘Turning the corner’ has been the motto of many people, as the values and preferences of individuals, families and even institutions keep changing. The effects of the long-term high inflation rate, serious financial limitations and separatist activities (with armed conflict in the eastern part of the country) have all played a crucial role. Many people living in the villages have migrated to the peripheries of some of the larger cities or have left the country to work abroad, typically in Germany, France, The Netherlands or Belgium. The specific mental health problems of these migrants have been the subject of comparative studies (Gilleard, 1983; Van der Stuyft et al, 1993; Diefenbacher & Heim, 1994; Yazar & Littlewood, 2001).

Another characteristic feature of Turkey is the series of contrasts seen in almost all aspects of life, which inevitably is reflected in mental health issues, in terms of both psychosocial structure and psychiatric treatment.