Unemployed man set himself on fire in Turkey

Yet another Turkish unemployed citizen attempted to set himself on fire because of unemployment. The citizen is still under medical care
Monday, 29 January 2018 22:50

Muhterem Birgül, a 35 years old Turkish citizen unemployed for months, set himself on fire on January 29 in Balıkesir province of Turkey. 

Birgül's self-immolation came after his numerous job applications that remained inconclusive. As his attempts to find a job at the local municipality failed, unemployed Birgül decided to set himself on fire in front of the municipal building. Birgül has been hospitalized for second-degree burns, still in critical condition.

Speaking to local media, the mayor Yücel Yılmaz from the ruling AKP party commented that although the incident is a sad one, they are not sure whether Birgül had a hysterical attack or had "staged" the whole event. Yılmaz also noted that Birgül had been released on probation and it is "impossible to hire him at the municipality."​

On January 13, a construction worker living in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, also set himself on fire near the Turkish Parliament because of his financial difficulties.