A 20-year-old woman died by suicide on Monday evening, saying the results of the May 14 elections in Turkey left her in despair and that she saw no future under Justice and Development Party (AKP) rule, the Stockholm Center for Freedom reported, citing local media.
The young woman, identified as Kübra Ergin, said she had spent her entire life under AKP rule and had never felt free as a woman. “They [the AKP] stole my youth, my future,” she said in her suicide note. “Although my family always supported me, I never felt free. I am 20 years old, but I have nothing. I don’t know what it’s like to live in a democracy.”
Expressing that she felt a lot of social pressure, Ergin said she could not even wear a miniskirt without being stared at on the street.
Ergin said she had sought psychological counseling but that it failed to make her feel better. Adding that her parents worked hard to provide for her, Ergin said the country’s deteriorating economy meant they could barely afford the necessities of life.
“My father works from four in the morning till eight at night. The poor man,” she said in the note. “My mother also works, but even if she saves for her entire life, she won’t be able to buy a house.”
Finishing her letter by urging her loved ones to not forget her and her ideals, Ergin said only death could set her free.
Tens of millions of Turkish voters went to the polls on Sunday to cast their vote in the presidential and parliamentary elections. According to official results President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took 49.5 percent of vote, while his main challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu garnered 44.89 percent. There will be a runoff between the two candidates on May 28.
Amid the election frenzy, many youngsters said they could not see a future under AKP rule, citing the deteriorating economy and lack of freedoms as major reasons.
In its “Freedom in the World 2023” report, Freedom House rated Turkey as “not free” with a score of 32/100, in the same category as Russia, China and Iran.