Mihraç’s father: He wanted it so much, we had just bought him a bike

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"There are so many of these armored vehicles here. They are going so fast. We were anticipating it. We were anticipating that something like this would happen. People protect themselves from them; otherwise, there would be so many more accidents.

"My child couldn't protect himself in the face of its speed. I will seek justice for my child, I will seek my child's rights.

"I cannot speak much. Let me tell you this: My child was insisting so much that I would buy him a bike. We were poor but we bought him the bike so that he would be happy. We didn't know that an armored vehicle would come and hit him. I am so sorry, I will seek my child's right..."

This is how Salih Miroğlu, the father of late Mihraç Miroğlu, talks about the passing of his son. Hit by an armored police vehicle while riding a bicycle in İdil district in Turkey's Kurdish-majority southeastern province of Şırnak on September 3, 7-year-old Mihraç Miroğlu has lost his life.

According to the September 2019 report of the Human Rights Association (İHD) Diyarbakır Branch, in the last 10 years, there had been at least 63 armored vehicle crashes in Turkey. 36 people, including 16 children and six women, lost their lives in these 63 incidents.

But were the drivers of these armored vehicles penalized?

'Extreme concern for security leads to accidents'

Diyarbakır Bar Association Chair lawyer Nahit Eren raises concerns about the impunity for the deaths caused by armored vehicles.

Noting that courts consider these incidents to constitute the offense of "reckless killing" and penalize the defendants on the lower limit in the ensuing trials, Nahit Eren underlines that the drivers of the armored vehicles are not sufficiently equipped to drive these vehicles.

Diyarbakır Bar Chair Eren shares the following information about the deaths caused by armored vehicles in the region:

"Just as the attitude of the judiciary is important, one needs to look at the attitude of the administration as well.

"We see that an 'understanding of extreme security' has been dominant in civilians' living spaces in city centers in the last 4-5 years.

"We all observe that armored vehicles patrol in the living spaces of children. In fact, there is no such period in the region, either. The extreme concern for security invites such situations to unfold.

"There is another situation that we observe: The officers who drive the armored vehicles do not have sufficient knowledge to do so. There is a need for a very specially equipped personnel structure to drive these vehicles.

'Penalties are not deterring'

"These vehicles are also technically insufficient and very problematic.

"As for the attitude of the judiciary... We have always witnessed the following in the ensuing trials: The court cases were filed on charge of 'reckless killing', which means a prison sentence of 2 to 6 years.

"But the judiciary, unfortunately, gives a sentence on the lower limit and defers the sentence. The sentences are not deterring.

"To be frank, if sentences are given on higher limits, such accidents will take place less frequently. These court cases are approached as ordinary road accidents. But this is not the case.

'Solution offers'

"Investigations must definitely be extended. Moreover, not only a criminal investigation, but an administrative investigation must be launched as well. Also, the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission must bring this issue into its agenda and start investigating it. We, as the bar association, are ready to give all types of support."

Speaking to bianet about the incident that caused the death of Mihraç Miroğlu, witnesses say that the vehicle was going too fast and the dead body of the child bounced at least five meters away. They also raise concerns that armored vehicles are frequently driven at high speed in the region.

What happened?

An armored vehicle hit Mihraç Miroğlu (7) in Turgut Özal Neighborhood in Şırnak's İdil on September 3, 2021. According to the witness statements, the vehicle hit the child while he was riding a bicycle.

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), the investigation launched by the İdil Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into the incident has been launched on the grounds of "deadly road accident." The police officer was reportedly not detained even though the child has lost his life.

The statement of the suspect police officer was taken three days after the incident today (September 6). Brought to the courthouse in company with police, the police officer has been released after giving his statement. The police officer reportedly said in his statement at the prosecutor's office, "I didn't do it intentionally. I didn't want it to end like this." (EMK/SD)