It turned out that the soldiers -- who were first claimed to have been victims of an accidental explosion -- died when an activated hand grenade given to one of them by a lieutenant, Mehmet Tümer, exploded. Analysts say the lack of sufficient supervision in the military and members of the military not being held accountable for their wrongdoings are the main factors paving the way for the repeated occurrence of such tragic incidents. According to Bugün's Gülay Göktürk, the reason why Lt. Tümer acted so cruelly and recklessly, giving an activated hand grenade to a soldier, was the confidence he had that he would not be held accountable for his actions, no matter what mistakes he made. “Yes, the killing of four soldiers took place as a result of training, but it was not formal training; it was training which he gained through his observations and experiences within the military over the years. This training has no course book or notes. The moment this lieutenant entered the military academy, he started to learn that he has a privileged position within Turkish society. He is special, untouchable and not accountable to anyone,” explains Göktürk. Citing similar incidents where the negligence of senior members of the military cost the lives of soldiers but was covered up and went unpunished, she says all these incidents strengthened the lieutenant's belief that he would be under the protective wings of the military throughout his life and his mistakes would always be covered up. “This is the education which rendered him so cruel and reckless. As long as the military does not give him and all the other members of the military training contrary to this, hair-raising crimes that we do not even come across in movies will continue to be committed,” says Göktürk.
Sabah's Nazlı Ilıcak says the four soldiers killed in Elazığ are the victims of Tümer's negligence, not fate. She says as long as such incidents occur, efforts aiming to end the blood spilled in Turkey's fight against terrorism gain more ground. “In an environment of terror, human life is simplified, and life loses its importance,” she remarks.
Star's Mehmet Altan says the incident in Elazığ has once again shown how far away we are from knowing what really happens in state institutions, particularly in the military, because the military made everyone, from the ordinary citizen to the prime minister, believe that the deaths of four soldiers were the result of an accident. “This incident shows how an institution, the military, which is funded by the state, lacks supervision. Actually, in a democratic regime, every penny of tax paid should be monitored, and everyone should know how the state spends this money. How can a state and its military be credible, transparent and reliable when they do not refrain from saying that the cause of death of the four soldiers in Elazığ was an accident?” asks Altan. In further remarks, he says he wonders whether Turkey will ever have a military that is transparent, auditable and does not cover up its mistakes with official lies. “We need this for the safety of our children's lives,” says Altan.
