ECHR fines Turkey in case of soldier who committed suicide during compulsory military service

The ECHR has found Turkey guilty of not running an “effective” investigation into the death of a soldier who was said to have committed suicide while doing his compulsory military service in Şırnak in 2013.

Wednesday July 05 2023 01:51 pm

Duvar English

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on July 4 fined Turkey in the case of a soldier who was said to have committed suicide as he was performing his compulsory military service in the southeastern province of Şırnak’s Uludere district in 2013.

The court ordered Turkey to pay 27,000 euros in compensation to Muharrem Ali Al’s mother Ejder Al. The court concluded that Turkey had violated the European Convention on Human Rights’ Article 2 (right to life) and that country had failed to run an “effective” investigation into Al’s death.

A criminal investigation run by the Turkish authorities in s2013 said that Al had committed suicide with his service weapon during his compulsory military service. The military public prosecutor ordered that the proceedings be discontinued, which was upheld by the military court.

The deceased soldier’s mother Ejder Al lodged an individual appeal with the Turkish Constitutional Court, submitting that her son had no reason to commit suicide and that he had possibly been killed.

She complained that the criminal investigation into her son’s death had been inadequate to the point that it could not be deemed “effective.” The woman’s application however remained inconclusive at the top Turkish court, prompting her to file an application with the ECHR.

In a ruling on July 4, the ECHR ruled in favor of the mother and ordered Turkey to pay 26,000 euros in non-pecuniary damage and 1,000 euros in costs to her.