Following seven security personnel suicides in five days, the United Police Union of Turkey announced a nationwide strike for September 28, targeting harsh working conditions, economic pressure, and workplace bullying across the country’s security forces.
The security apparatus in Turkey faces an escalating crisis as severe professional strain and economic hardship culminate in industrial action. The United Police Union of Turkey announced that officers nationwide will walk off the job to protest institutional neglect and the worsening toll on personnel amid a mounting wave of self-harm incidents within the ranks. Citing reports from the Turkish outlet T24, the union confirmed that seven security force members died by suicide over a compressed five-day window.
The planned strike is scheduled for the afternoon of September 28 across the entire country. Beyond the seven fatalities, the toll extends to ongoing medical emergencies within auxiliary services. Two support personnel members in Bursa and Istanbul survived suicide attempts last week and remain hospitalized for treatment.
Grievances Behind the Security Force Strike
The union explicitly linked the decision to strike to harsh working conditions, severe economic pressures, and pervasive workplace bullying. Officers also face social stress, pension income losses, and institutional inequality regarding functional rights.
- Implementation of the 3600 additional indicator system
- Enforcement of equal pay for equal work
- Passage and enactment of a comprehensive police profession law
Protest at the Constitutional Court in Ankara
Tensions reached a visible peak during an independent demonstration outside the Constitutional Court in Ankara, where retired police officer Ali Şekeroğlu took his own life with a firearm.
Şekeroğlu had arrived at the courthouse carrying a placard that distilled the core grievance driving the wider labor movement. According to regional reports, the sign read: Not for money, but for our dignity.
Institutional Pressure and Labor Mobilization
The convergence of active-duty suicides, auxiliary staff hospitalizations, and the public self-inflicted death of a retired officer has transformed internal discontent into organized defiance.
