'My Words Were Criticized After School Attacks': Biricik Suden Speaks for the First Time

The tragic school attacks in Şanlıurfa and Kahramanmaraş have cast a pall over Turkey, prompting widespread grief and calls for reflection. Amidst this national sorrow, the public discourse, particularly on social media, has become a focal point. It was within this charged atmosphere that Biricik Suden, wife of the renowned musician Mazhar Alanson, made comments that ignited a firestorm of criticism.

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I couldn't risk my cortisol levels and muscle development. I'm saving my energy for more constructive things rather than feeding on negative energy.

When questioned about her silence on the attacks, Suden's response – that she "couldn't risk her cortisol levels and muscle development" and preferred to "save her energy for more constructive things rather than feeding on negative energy" – was perceived by many as callous and dismissive of the profound tragedy. This statement, shared widely online, quickly drew condemnation from various segments of society, who felt it trivialized the suffering and loss experienced by the victims and their families.

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The text I shared after the tragic event in our country was distorted by individuals and some media outlets that profit from pain and turn digital sensitivity into a show, but continue their lives as if nothing happened the moment they put down their phones.

However, in a subsequent statement, Suden sought to clarify her position, arguing that her words were "distorted" by individuals and media outlets that "profit from pain" and turn "digital sensitivity into a show." She maintained that her original response was intended as a collective answer to the pressure to post online, and that its "tone was prone to misunderstanding." Suden asserted that genuine change requires reason and science, not "social media hysteria," and vowed not to compromise her principles or her disciplined lifestyle in the face of what she termed "slanderers."

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They may have received the interaction they desired through my statement, which was given as a collective response to the pressure to post about the incident, but was prone to misunderstanding due to its tone.

This incident highlights a broader debate in Turkey about the nature of public expression and activism in the face of national tragedies. While many felt Suden's initial statement was out of touch, her defense points to a frustration with what some perceive as superficial online engagement. The controversy underscores the difficulty of navigating public sentiment and the complexities of expressing genuine concern versus performative solidarity in the digital age, a conversation particularly relevant in a society deeply affected by such events.

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As those who know me know, to end such pains, we must take refuge in reason and science, not social media hysteria.