Slain soldier's father: Lack of inquiry into Aktütün attack unacceptable

On Oct. 3, 2008, 17 soldiers were killed and many others injured in an attack by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on the Aktütün military outpost in Hakkari province.

Days after the terrorist attack, the Taraf daily, known for its liberal stance, published images and reports that it said came from gendarmerie intelligence and implied that the military had known about the attack well before the PKK opened fire. The images published by Taraf showed figures approaching the area through the northern Iraqi border.

The images and reports drew the ire of the General Staff, with Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ holding a press conference late last October to respond to accusations that a series of intelligence and command failures had led to the Aktütün tragedy. Başbuğ blasted media critics, saying they were “responsible for the blood that has been shed and will be shed.”

Although one year has passed since the deadly attack, the memory of the soldiers' deaths is still fresh in the minds of their families. Azimet Mengü, the father of slain soldier Çağlar Mengü, said he does not know who he should hold responsible for his son's death. “Who should I complain to about it? Should I complain about the state to the state? Although I bear my sorrow without complaining, it still hurts me a lot that the attack has gone uninvestigated,” he said.

He added that he cannot understand why those arranging massive demonstrations to protect secularism and the principles of the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk -- referring to the 2003 republican rallies, during which retired military officers, university rectors and members of the judiciary called for a military coup against the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government -- have remained silent regarding claims of negligence in the Aktütün attack. The grieving father, who wants the tears of families to stop, called for an end to bloodshed.

The mother of the slain soldier also continues to mourn her son's death. Nuriye Mengü said she has not smiled once since then.