According to news reports, Soner’s parents are divorced. They have five children. His mother, Emine Sipahi, enrolled him and his 16-year-old sister Özlem in a dershane, which offers weekend and evening courses geared toward preparing students for national exams, three years ago. The 48-year-old mother wanted her children to successfully complete their courses, but was unable to pay the school’s course fees, and legal proceedings were launched over the debt. Unable to pay the amount outstanding, which totals some TL 5,000, Emine Sipahi appeared in court and was imprisoned two months ago upon the demand of prosecutors.Soner Sipahi felt guilty over his mother’s imprisonment and became determined to rescue her from prison. To do this, he decided to sell their house as a way to raise enough money to pay off the debts. He came to an agreement with a person to sell the house and rented out a house in which the family could continue to live. However, when the person who was to buy the house changed his mind, Soner Sipahi fell into a depression. He hanged himself in Muğla’s Fethiye district over this tragic event and left a note saying: “I can no longer endure this pain. Please forgive me.”
Mustafa Sipahi, Soner’s father, expressed his sadness over the matter. He said he divorced Emine Sipahi for various reasons but reiterated that “Soner was a good boy. I am very saddened by this. My son committed suicide. His death is an indicator of poverty. Do the dershane’s owners feel any guilt? Soner’s mother is in prison because my child studied at a dershane. This tragic event should be a lesson for everyone.”
The father said the dershane’s administrative board is responsible for his son’s death. He said the house in question would have been sold sooner or later and that had the administration waited a little longer, neither would his former wife be in prison nor would have his son committed suicide.
