Four members of the Turkish Armed Forces, including commanding officers, have been dismissed following the deaths of two conscript soldiers during training in the southern province of Hatay.
The Defense Ministry confirmed the dismissals at its weekly press briefing on yesterday, stating that the personnel were referred to the High Disciplinary Board due to “intent, fault or negligence” in connection with the incident.
Hayrullah Halit Karaman and Semih Erdoğan died on Jul 25 while undergoing basic training at the İskenderun Naval Training Regiment Command. According to the Forensic Medicine Institute, their deaths resulted from “an increase in body temperature due to prolonged exposure to sunlight (hyperthermia) and related complications.”
An initial statement from the Defense Ministry on Jul 26 noted that seven soldiers had been hospitalized with high fever. Karaman and Erdoğan did not survive despite medical intervention.
“The preliminary autopsy report determined that their deaths were caused by multiple organ failure resulting from low sodium levels in the blood due to excessive fluid loss (dehydration),” the ministry said at the time.
Eight other military personnel have received disciplinary penalties based on varying levels of fault.
A judicial investigation, launched by the İskenderun Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, is still ongoing. (NÖ/VK)
