09 March 2016•Update: 09 March 2016
ISTANBUL
Two women in Istanbul face 10 years of prison time if found guilty over charges of “encouraging suicide”.
The pair, one 49 the other 27, allegedly encouraged Erol Cetin to commit suicide on the Bogazici (Bosphorus) Bridge on Tuesday morning, according to police.
As police officers tried to persuade Cetin not to commit suicide, two women, apparently fed up with the traffic jam on the bridge due to Cetin’s suicide attempt, opened their car’s window and shouted: “If you are going to jump, then jump."
He then made a fatal 64-meter jump into the freezing waters, according to police.
Police arrested two women on the spot.
On Wednesday, the Istanbul prosecutor charged both with encouraging suicide.
The two suspects denied accusations. The judge released them on condition of judicial control.
According to estimates, dozens of people on average attempt to commit suicide every year on the two bridges at Istanbul Strait.
On Dec. 25, 2015, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared to talk a man out of his suicide attempt as his convoy passed by Istanbul’s Bosphorus Bridge.
In line with its publishing policies, Anadolu Agency does not usually report on suicide incidents.
