Poverty takes our lives

Since the transition to the presidential system in 2018, there has been an extraordinary increase in the number of people who have committed suicide for various reasons, especially financial hardship. While 1,400 people committed suicide per year and 3.8 people per day in 2018, the annual number of suicides increased by 42 percent to 1982 and the number of daily suicides to 5.4 by the end of 2022. The number of suicides per day has doubled. number of people who committed suicide due to economic hardship. The number of people who committed suicide due to family discord, education-related problems and emotional reasons also increased. It was also a matter of concern that the greatest increase in the distribution of suicides by age groups was observed among young people between the ages of 20 and 29.

ACHIEVED AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL

Data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) indicates that the economic difficulties and fluctuations experienced since 2018, when life became difficult and more expensive, also had a negative impact on the mental health of citizens. According to the data, in 2018, 241 were due to illness, 64 due to economic difficulties, 59 due to family conflicts, 54 for emotional reasons, 2 due to commercial failure, 1 due to education, 413 due to other problems and 566 for a total of 1,400 citizens. they took their own lives for various reasons, the reason being unknown. In 2022, the annual number of suicides increased by 42 percent compared to 2018, while the increase in cases caused by financial and educational difficulties peaked at 98 percent. In 2022, 443 suicides were caused by illness, 96 by family conflict, 127 by financial difficulties, 1 by business failure, 78 by emotional reasons, 11 by education, 688 by other reasons, while the cause of 538 was unknown.

POPULATION GROWTH

Evaluating the TÜİK data, CHP MP Aliye Timisi Ersever stated that economic problems such as hardship and high cost of living tire people and demanded that action be taken as soon as possible. Emphasizing that factors such as poverty and anxiety about the future are also reflected in Turkstat’s suicide data, Ersever said: “63,244 people committed suicide between 2003 and 2022, when the AKP was in power. While the population increased 26.8 percent between 2003 and 2022, the number of people who committed suicide increased 53.7 percent.