ANKARA: A brain drain and youth exodus from Turkey have become increasing points of debate in the country after two TikTok users were recently arrested for posting a satirical video about the inability of young Turks to travel abroad amid the pandemic. The two 23-year-old users seemingly irked Turkish authorities, and were accused of “openly insulting the state’s sovereign insignia” in the satirical clip. In Turkey, where even humor has become an inexcusable act for some authorities, an increasing number of citizens are choosing to move abroad, recent statistics show. The latest data by the European Statistical Office shows that Turkish asylum requests to Europe have increased by 506 percent since 2019.