Turkish army assigns ‘buddies’ to decrease suicide rate

ISTANBUL

AA Photo

The Turkish Armed Forces have begun to assign each soldier a “buddy” to help them better cope with life in the military in hopes of seeing the current suicide rate among servicemen decrease.

The buddies are expected to help soldiers combat personal problems ranging from family issues to health troubles.

The project aims to prevent distressed members of the army from hurting themselves or others as a result of any personal emotional conflicts they may be experiencing.

According to Anatolia news agency, the project so far appears to be paying off as the army’s suicide rate was cut in half in 2012.

A total of 32,000 military members committed suicide in 2011, Anatolia news agency reported.