'The only solution was suicide': Desperation for women seeking abortions in Turkey
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00:00 Abortions may be legal in Turkey, but they're increasingly difficult to obtain and socially frowned upon.
00:07 This 26-year-old woman shared her story on the condition that she remain anonymous.
00:14 The day she found out she was pregnant last September, she panicked.
00:20 I thought I was done. I was done with my life.
00:23 I thought I couldn't take it anymore, so I decided to jump out of the window and commit suicide.
00:30 That was the first thing I thought.
00:32 In the end, she went to a private clinic and paid 1,200 Turkish Lira, a third of her monthly salary,
00:40 for a procedure that's free when performed in a public hospital.
00:46 A recent study shows less than 8 percent of public hospitals in Turkey
00:50 agree to perform abortions for non-medical reasons, and only one in Istanbul.
00:56 Dr. Ekmez, a gynecologist, continues to perform abortions,
01:01 even though it damages his professional reputation.
01:05 We are made to feel like we are committing a crime.
01:15 But Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a champion of traditional family values,
01:19 openly disapproves of the practice and has even likened abortions to murder.
01:24 If there is no mother, will there be humanity? No.
01:27 If there is a mother, there is humanity.
01:30 That's why I recommend at least three children at every opportunity.
01:35 Fewer options can lead to greater isolation,
01:38 especially for those in unstable home environments and relationships.
01:43 That's why this women's shelter has seen a sharp increase in calls over the last few years,
01:49 helping women safely access a shadowy and dangerous world
01:54 in a country where abortion is perfectly legal, but only on paper.
01:59 In a country where abortion is perfectly legal, but only on paper.