Eylül Cansın

Eylül Cansın (1992 – 5 January 2015) was a 23-year-old Turkish transgender woman who committed suicide by jumping off the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, despite police's attempts to stop her. She died on impact. Shortly before her death, she posted a suicide note/video in Turkish to her Facebook account.

Eylül Cansın was born in 1992. She died shortly before her twenty-fourth birthday. She was laid to rest at the Feriköy Cemetery, in Istanbul.

She worked as a sex worker up until her death on 5 January 2015, a common occupation in Turkey - especially Istanbul - for LGBT people, especially transgender women.

In her suicide note/video, she begins with: "Today is my most beautiful day. I’m so happy. Today is going to be another beautiful day for me."

She goes on to explain that, despite people being friendly to her, she felt as though she had no friends. This is due to the fact that, the day before she committed suicide, her friends physically attacked her violently.

Eylül expresses how difficult life being transgender was, and how "[she] could not... because people did not allow [her to] work... they interfered with [her] a lot [and] victimized [her] a lot.”

Eylül also tells her mother specifically that she wants her to take care of her pet dog, saying as she cried, “Mom, I have a very small dog at home. I know that you will take her in and that you will take good care of her. Mom, I entrust her to you. Please think of me whenever you look at her. Think of only me. And don’t give her away to any one.”

Protests in Turkey

Following Eylül Cansın's suicide, protests stating that her death was murder by society were held in several Turkish cities like Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir and Kocaeli.

The protests brought light to Turkish police brutality and gang violence directed towards trans sex workers. They also brought up social issues such as the low employment ratings for transgender citizens. Prostitution is legal in Turkey. Transgender women are at the most risk to be swept into this dangerous business, and are at a greater risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STD), or sexually transmitted infections (STI), and police brutality due to few protective rights of sex workers.

The Media

Social media was outraged by her suicide and sparked more uproar for international LGBT equality in society.

The Turkish Psychological Association (TPD) expressed concern that Eylül's suicide would spark more suicides in Turkish LGBT youth. They say that it is critical that detailed explanations of the death should be avoided, as it often will become a role model for adolescents and young adults, who are the most inclined to depression and suicidal actions.