As people in Türkiye continue to protest over the rising cost of living and the growing difficulty of making ends meet, a retired man who said he could no longer get by shot himself during a demonstration in Ankara. His death has once again drawn attention to the economic hardship and social crisis facing people in Türkiye.
Retiree associations, retired civil servants and trade unions held a demonstration outside the Constitutional Court in Ankara, demanding an across-the-board increase in pensions and salaries. During the protest, retired police officer Ali Şekeroğlu shot himself. He was taken to hospital but died despite medical intervention.
Speaking during the demonstration, Şekeroğlu said that he could no longer make ends meet, declaring: “Let those who have brought us to this point be ashamed.”
The placard he was carrying read “Not for money, but for our dignity”