Official statistics in Turkey show the suicide rate for those age 15+ is 3.33 per 100,000 population. Suicides are more frequent in the cities & in the western part of the country. Although completion rates are much lower than in western Europe, attempt rates are comparable, around 145 per 100,000 in Ankara in 1995. Studies of the attitudes of the public & psychiatrists reveal reluctance to face this growing problem. (19 refs.)