HDP MP Koç Brings Suspicious Deaths of Soldiers into Parliamentary Agenda

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Ağrı MP of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Abdullah Koç has brought the suspicious deaths of soldiers into parliamentary agenda. Abdullah Koç has submitted a parliamentary inquiry to be responded by Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar.

Reminding that the Ministry of Defense previously announced that 1,036 people on mandatory military service committed suicide between the years of 2002 and 2013, Koç has stated, "However, apart from the incidents that have been reported in the news, no data exists regarding the number of suspicious deaths of soldiers for the last five years."

"How many soldiers have commited suicide in 1 year?"

In his parliamentary inquiry addressed to Akar, Koç has emphasized that, each week, it has been reported in the news that at least one young person on mandatory military service has allegedly committed suicide. Koç has also referred to the allegations that three young people from Urfa, who were doing their mandatory military service, have committed suicide in three days.

Koç has posed a series of questions including the number of soldiers who allegedly committed suicide between the years of 2013 and 2018; the number of investigations launched into these suicide allegations; the number of soldiers who have lost their lives in conflicts over the last year; the number of soldiers who have allegedly committed suicide over the last year; and the number of military personnel who have committed suicide due to their ethnic or religious identities, sects or political and philosophical views.

In addition to the parliamentary inquiry, Koç has also submitted an application to the Speaker's Office and demanded a parliamentary investigation be launched into the suspicious deaths of soldiers.

3 soldiers have allegedly committed suicide in 3 days

It was previously reported in the news that three young people from Urfa, who were doing their mandatory military service in Balıkesir, Antep and Ankara, have committed suicide between October 14-17.

CLICK - Number of People on Mandatory Military Service Allegedly Committing Suicide Increases to 3

It was also reported that, a young person named M.A., who was doing his mandatory military service in the district of Dinar in Afyon, allegedly committed suicide with his infantry rifle during guard-duty.

In response to a parliamentary inquiry that was submitted by Mahmut Tanal, an MP of the Republican People's Party (CHP), in 2013 to be responded by the Minister of National Defense of the time, it was announced that 1,036 soldiers committed suicide in the period of 2002-2013. (EKN/SD)