Sir, - I refer to the photograph (The Irish Times, February 15th) of a Turkish soldier sitting atop a monument in Istanbul holding a pistol to his head. The caption informs us that his suicide attempt was foiled and he was brought to hospital for psychological assessment.
I am at a loss to understand why the solitary plight of an obviously disturbed Turkish soldier is judged sufficiently newsworthy to occupy a quarter of a page in an Irish newspaper. Indeed, how any individual's plight can be so exploited is beyond me.
At a time when concerted efforts are being made to address the growing problem of suicide in Ireland, and in particular that of suicide among young men, I consider the decision to publish this photograph to be insensitive, inappropriate and downright irresponsible. - Yours, etc.,
Rosemary Barry, Zion Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6.
This was a very public incident and a very unpleasant one, albeit in a country far away. It ended as happily as it might and without violence. Newspapers sometimes have to show the unpleasant aspects of the world if they are to reflect reality. - Ed., IT.