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Some elderly Turks face silent, slow killers: Abuse and neglect

By 2050, 20% of Turkey's population will be over the age of 65, but social taboos prevent people from publicly addressing elder abuse and the specific needs of the elderly.
Men rest in Vakifli village, which is located in Hatay province, June 13, 2007. In sleepy Vakifli, Turkey's last surviving ethnic Armenian village, perched high among orange groves overlooking the east Mediterranean, elderly farmers say they will probably vote for the Islamist-rooted AK Party in July 22 elections. Picture taken June 13, 2006. To match feature TURKEY-ELECTION/CHRISTIANS   REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY) - GM1DVNFQSPAA

A story about a car killing a Turkish worker as he pushed a cart down a road three years ago garnered attention largely because the victim was an 87-year-old grandfather still in the workforce. Today in a number of industrial districts in the country manual laborers with deep wrinkles on their faces and hands can be seen. It's routine to see elderly men working eight to 10 hours a day.

More than 20% of Turkey's population has income levels below the official hunger threshold, and many of the elderly have no choice but to work.

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