Ministry refuses to disclose how many ‘martyred’ soldiers died in traffic accidents

Following the deaths of four soldiers in a military vehicle accident on Sep 8 in Dersim, southeastern Turkey, bianet requested details from the National Defense Ministry regarding similar incidents. 

bianet sought information through the Presidential Communication Center (CİMER), asking how many soldiers had been killed in traffic accidents since 2000, the yearly accident statistics, and what measures had been taken to prevent similar fatalities.

The Defense Ministry redirected the inquiry to the Interior Ministry, which in turn referred it to the Gendarmerie General Command, which is under its authority. However, the Gendarmerie, citing the Right to Information Act, refused to disclose the data. It invoked Article 7 of the law, which allows public institutions to deny requests requiring special research or analysis.

The National Defense Ministry’s website includes a "martyrs" section, but it does not specify how soldiers died. Similarly, the Turkish Armed Forces’ (TSK) website redirects users to the ministry's page, providing no additional information about deceased soldiers.

Despite this lack of transparency, the available data suggests that traffic accidents are a significant cause of military deaths, with half of the 28 deaths in the past two years occurring due to traffic accidents. In the first nine months of this year, 11 gendarmerie personnel died, with seven of those fatalities occurring due to traffic accidents, according to the Gendarmerie General Command website. Similarly, in 2023, seven of the 17 reported military deaths were caused by traffic incidents. (HA/VK)