GENETIC-VARIATION AT 5 STR LOCI IN SUBPOPULATIONS LIVING IN TURKEY

Five short tandem repeat (STR) systems HumVWA, HumTH01, HumCD4, HumF13 B and HumFES were investigated in 2 subpopulations living in Turkey (L az Turks and Kurds). The population genetic data were compared to a Tu rkish population sample from the Adana area. A closer genetic relation ship was found to the Laz Turks than to the Kurdish sample which was a lso confirmed by phylogenetic tree reconstruction with seven populatio ns from three major ethnic groups (Caucasian, Asian and African), In c ontrast to the Laz and Adana populations the Kurdish sample showed rel atively low heterozygosity values and deviations from Hardy-Weinberg e quilibrium in four of the five systems.