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Turkey Defense Minister addresses problem gambling
Turkey’s Defense Minister Yaşar Güler admitted that the military’s new recruits face problem gambling issues, as suicide rates rise among young people having debts or being involved in gambling.
The announcements coincided with a time when the Turkish soccer industry was revealed to be in a gambling scandal, with hundreds of referees and thousands of players openly engaging in gambling.
Online transactions clearly show that gambling is rising among young recruits, but the military refuses to discuss the deaths connected to it, as they believe it will show signs of weakness. It’s estimated that 934 people have committed suicide in the armed forces.
Turkey is not the only country with this issue, as the same gambling addiction is present in the US Army as well. The Wired website reported in August 2025 that the US military is under pressure to address the gambling behavior of recruits.
Additionally, military officials are worried that such addictions can impact the combat readiness of their soldiers. They are also even more concerned that the increasing gambling debts make soldiers more vulnerable to blackmail.
In light of this problem, the Kindbridge Research Institute created an initiative to raise awareness about gambling in the military. They believe the first step is to acknowledge that such a problem exists.
Defense Minister Güler urges that now is the time to act because servicemen are already dying from this issue.
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