Şehriban Aslan - Sema Çağlak

 

DİYARBAKIR - Sociologist Berçem Türk, stating that the economic crisis and suicide cases in the society will cause deep devastation in the society, drew attention to the fact that news of suicide spread every day and that they are covered instead of finding solution.

 

The economic crisis in Turkey continues to deepen with the effect of the pandemic. Increasing unemployment and the economic crisis are causing despair and anxiety in the society. While this concern also forms the basis of increasing suicide cases in society, the government ignores the problems of the society. According to official records, 16 people committed suicide in Diyarbakır's Silvan district. Sociologist Berçem Türk spoke to our agency about the problems experienced in society and their effects.

 

‘The dream of young people is to be a waitress abroad’

 

Stating that economic crisis broke out periodically in all societies, Berçem noted that the economy of all countries was negatively affected by global epidemics. Stating that there was an economic crisis in Turkey that also existed before the global epidemic, Berçem said: “With the epidemic, this crisis has deepened further and has become almost unsolvable. In addition to all these, we see the effects of the crisis on the psychology of societies depending on how it is managed. However, the fact that some people live in luxury and pomp during the economic crisis naturally brings along an irrepressible class hatred. The increasing use of social media, especially among young people, plays a leading role in spreading privileges. In the past, young people who were aware of certain things could not make their elders believe this injustice no matter what they did; but now everything is looking at a spreading visual. Of course, it is good that this injustice is experienced in front of the eyes and no one is left unaware. However, psychological frustration and deep despair emerge in those who see that despite all the criticism, something still has not changed. This causes destruction especially on young people. It is a pain that the dream of all young people is to be a waitress abroad.”

 

‘Poverty is the reason for turning to crypto money’

 

Reminding that almost everyone has a crypto money market agenda in their homes and streets lately, Berçem said: “Everyone has become disconnected from the real life and hope to benefit from the virtual world. Because again, everybody knows that their labor cannot be paid off and dreams of earning money in different ways as a last resort. They are unhappy with the fall of crypto moneys and happy with the rise. The underlying factor in all this is, of course, poverty. People are trying to find a way to survive somehow. When we look at today's society, it would not be right to say that poverty only affects women, men or young people. It contains this on the basis of reports of suicides and violence that increased with the pandemic period.”

 

‘Gender roles are effective in suicides’

 

Stating that men who are in debt or have difficulty in making a living have witnessed news of suicide, Berçem emphasized that suicide news is spread every week and every day. Mentioning that suicides did not make a sound, Berçem noted that there was no solution seeking. Berçem said: “Instead of finding a solution, it is covered up. We can say that gender roles have a big impact on these suicides. There is a mission attributed to men from past to present; ‘Whatever happens, carry stone if necessary, but take care of your home and your children, you have to do it’. Workplaces that are closed during the pandemic period, unemployed men, and deepening poverty, prepare the environment for suicides. Feeling useless, the ‘man of the house’ finds the solution to commit suicide, and even that is the tragic thing that cannot change anything. With the responsibility of being a "social state", there are aid money paid to the people at a level that cannot even meet their minimum needs. Social support payments to be paid for small needs or expenditures meet or cannot meet the basic needs of many or even all households.”

 

‘It is the photograph of the deep vortex’

 

Noting that there are lines in front of Post Office (PTT) every morning despite the deadly epidemic, Berçem said that women waiting in long lines know that the money to be paid will not be enough, but despite this, they wait in the lines for hours by taking a risk. Berçem said: “This is the photograph of the deep vortex that poverty pulls us into. It is necessary to observe the market places in the lands where agricultural production is at its peak. Images of women who come to the market area towards the end of bazaar and buy rotten vegetables for cheaper prices and collect them for free are everywhere. Everyone sees, knows, and hears them. Unfortunately, the fact that some people do not believe in this and say perception does not make them unreal. In the streets of a city we have witnessed, we have never come across people who are shyly walking down the street looking for bread, shouting ‘we are hungry’ at night or after iftar. But we can hear and even see them.”

 

‘Terrible devastation awaits us’

 

Underlining that the current problems will leave deep wounds on human psychology in the future, Berçem said: “The middle class is disappearing, the poor are getting more and more impoverished, hopeless, there are graduated graduates, who do not know what cultural and social activities are and cannot meet their minimum needs. Fathers and mothers who ended their lives because they felt inadequate and their children holding on to life with this heartbreak…Considering all these, it is obvious that the material and spiritual recovery of the society will take a long time. I hope that after this process, we will open our eyes to a world where we can collect the devastations related to life together.”