A man in İstanbul has put one of his kidneys up for sale due to financial problems, the DHA news agency reported on Wednesday.
The man, whose name was not revealed by the agency, posted a note on bus stops in the Sultangazi neighborhood of İstanbul that said: “Urgent! Kidney for sale, [blood type] O negative. I am putting one of my kidneys up for sale due to financial problems and debt. I have just had all medical tests done.” The man also included his name and telephone number on the announcement.
The man, who was contacted by DHA, said he wants TL 20,000, around $3,400, for the kidney and has been sleeping in parks due to the lack of a home and money.
Turks have been suffering from financial difficulties since last year.
The Turkish economy contracted a sharper than expected 3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018, its worst performance in nearly a decade, indicating that last year’s near 30 percent slide in the lira had tipped it into recession.
Turkey’s unemployment rate surged to 14.7 percent in the December-February period, its highest level in nearly a decade according to official data this month, as the effects of last year’s currency crisis continued to weigh on workers.