Ali Sekeroglu, a former gendarmerie officer, turned a protest into a tragedy when he fired a shot at his own head outside the Constitutional Court in Ankara on 25 September 2024. The act was captured in a video that spread across social‑media platforms, showing him addressing a crowd about his financial woes before pulling the trigger.
The demonstration was part of a nationwide wave of pension protests that began earlier this year after the government stalled a universal pay rise for public workers in the 2023 pension package. Pensioners across the country have been demanding that the state address the gap between their actual cost of living and the pension they receive.
Sekeroglu’s personal story added a human touch to the rally. He had two unemployed sons and could not afford a gold coin to celebrate his grandchild’s birth, a detail highlighted by a video clip of the protest. The former cop’s Facebook post hours before the incident urged fellow retirees to unite for dignity and economic security.
The New Party, Turkey’s main opposition, condemned the incident and warned that the anger of retirees could spiral into a "social explosion." New Party spokesperson Mehmet Aydın called the government "unresponsive" and urged immediate pension reforms, while Ankara officials have yet to issue an official statement.
Suicide during protests over economic hardship has precedent in Turkey, but local media often censor such incidents to avoid "promotion." The incident underscores the growing frustration among the elderly and the potential for further unrest.
Pensioners are now demanding a review of the pension system, and the government faces mounting pressure to deliver concrete policy changes before the next wave of protests erupts.