Some elderly Turks face silent, slow killers: Abuse and neglect
By 2050, 20% of Turkey's population will be over the age of 65, but social taboos prevent people from publicly addressing elder abuse and the specific needs of the elderly.
A story about a car killing a Turkish worker as he pushed a cart down a road three years ago garnered attention largely because the victim was an 87-year-old grandfather still in the workforce. Today in a number of industrial districts in the country manual laborers with deep wrinkles on their faces and hands can be seen. It's routine to see elderly men working eight to 10 hours a day.
More than 20% of Turkey's population has income levels below the official hunger threshold, and many of the elderly have no choice but to work.
One business owner who employs three elderly porters around Istanbul's Grand Bazaar area told Al-Monitor, “I wanted to do a good deed. Old age is prevalent here and no one wants to hire grandpas. I wanted to be a good Muslim.” But his neighbor laughed at him and said, “You are a miser! These [elderly] guys work at half the market rate; they are cheaper than Syrians. That's why you hire them.”
In a brief encounter, the elderly men — ages 72 to 88 — all told Al-Monitor they had to keep working or go hungry.
