Nearly 9 people commit suicide everyday in Turkey

Duvar English

Nearly nine people commit suicide everyday in Turkey mostly over economic reasons, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy leader Aykut Erdoğdu has said.

"Turkey is on the brink of social insanity," Erdoğdu told reporters, as he slammed the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) for "creating policies that produce death."

"The government pledges death, while we pledge life," he also said.

Sharing Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) figures on suicide, Erdoğdu said that 8.6 people commit suicide on average everyday, adding that the numbers are increasing due to poverty and unemployment.

"According to TÜİK figures, 50,378 people committed suicide in the past 17 years. The number is 3,161 for 2018 only. That means 8.6 people committed suicide everyday on average. Out of the 3,161, 2,391 are men and 770 are women. The fact that 75 percent of the suicides are committed by men looking after a household points to the unbearableness of financial difficulties," Erdoğdu said.

"The government is responsible if people commit suicide because their children are hungry or because they are unemployed. Where there is hunger, poverty and suicide, it means that danger bells are ringing for the government," he added.

Saying that Turkey turned into a country that death looms around, Erdoğdu gave a recent avalanche disaster, earthquake, plane crash, Turkish troops killed in Syria and increasing suicides as examples. He also accused the government of blessing death.

"The government doesn't anything but death to its citizens," he said.

Erdoğdu also pointed to the fact that the number of femicides and murders are not increasing despite the increase in the number of security personnel.

"As of 2018, there are a total of 255,974 police officers, while the number is 144,827 for doctors. The numbers show that how the society's health is neglected and how police is not defending the citizens, but the government," he said.