Same Type of Military Helicopter Crashes in Same Area After 2.5 Months

* Photograph: Onur Çoban - İstanbul / AA

Click to read the article in Turkish

A UH-1 type military helicopter crashed into the garden of a housing estate in the district of Çekmeköy in İstanbul yesterday evening (February 11). Four soldiers have lost their lives in the incident.

The names of the deceased soldiers are as follows:

Pilot Lieutenant Ümit Özer, Lieutenant Semih Özcan, Chief Master Sergeant İlyas Kaya and Technical Sergeant Yakup Avşar.

It has been reported that the helicopter took off from the 4th Army Aviation Regiment. Two pilots and four mechanics were on board.

After two of the mechanics left the helicopter, the helicopter went out of order over the Kirazlı Dere Neighborhood and crashed into a children's park in a housing estate. No civilians have died or been wounded in the incident.

While the İstanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into the crash of the helicopter, Governor of İstanbul Ali Yerlikaya has stated that the reason for the crash has been unknown.

Publication and broadcast ban

Upon the request of the İstanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the Anatolian 3rd Penal Court of Peace has imposed a publication and broadcast ban on the news regarding the incident.

Accordingly, a publication and broadcast ban has been imposed on all types of news, interviews or the like to be aired or published on written, visual and social media about the incident and the investigation file until the investigation has been completed.

AHaber news channel: "If only they were US soldiers"

Reporting the crash of the military helicopter on pro-government AHaber news channel, anchor Salih Nayman stated, "If only these images belonged to the US soldiers." Neyman said,

"We wish that we did not have to share these images with you... If only they belonged to the US soldiers, we wish that we would report it like that, but it is, unfortunately, our soldiers who are inside the helicopter."

Another UH-1 crashed in November 2018

Another UH-1 military helicopter crashed in the nearby Sancaktepe on November 26, 2018. That helicopter also belonged to the 4th Army Aviation Regiment. Five soldiers lost their lives in that incident. (EKN/SD)