Four siblings were found dead in an apartment building on Tuesday night in İstanbul’s Fatih district, with preliminary findings indicating a possible group suicide due to cyanide ingestion, the Evrensel newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The bodies were found by the police who entered the apartment in hazmat suits and masks after being tipped off by local residents who noticed a sign on the door that said “Attention: cyanide. Call the police. Do not come in.”
The police also found antidepressants in the apartment.
The siblings, two women and two men, aged from 48 to 60, were reportedly heavily indebted and faced with increasing financial troubles, especially since they inherited a significant amount of debt from their late parents.
The apartment’s electricity was cut off the same day due to unpaid bills. According to Evrensel, suicide rates have been on the rise in Turkey against the backdrop of increasing poverty and unemployment. A total of 3,161 people committed suicide in 2018.