World Bulletin / News Desk

Two Turkish soldiers from the eastern province of Batman committed suicide while on duty in Muş and Ardahan while families have suspicions about whether the soldiers ended their lives.

Abdurrahman Çiftçi, who was serving in Hasköy district of Muş for 11 months, ended his life with his weapon, according to claims. Çiftçi's body was buried in the İkiztepe village of Batman's Yücebağ neighborhood.

Yücebağ mayor Atilla Çetinkaya said the soldier's family filed an appeal with a prosecutor's office to investigate the incident they believe is “suspicious.”

Çetinkaya added that Çiftçi had no problems and that his family is still under shock. “We wanted this matter to be investigated with all its dimensions,” he noted.

Another Turkish soldier Masum Atlığ, who was serving in the Damal district of Ardahan for only ten days, committed suicide.

His father Mirza Adlığ was hospitalized after he learned that his son died.

Masum Adlığ's uncle Sabahattin Adlığ said he talked to him two days ago on the phone and that his mood was fine. He questioned if it is right to give a weapon with bullets to a soldier serving for more than a week. “We are suspicious of this death,” his uncle added.

Adlığ's body was also buried in his hometown Batman.

Suicide among soldiers is commonplace in Turkey and is showing a steady increase in recent years. Turkish Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz said last month that a total of 965 soldiers in the Turkish military committed suicide in the past ten years.

In a statement released in December 2012, the General Staff said “The rate of suicide incidents was 32 percent [of soldier deaths] in 2002 and it decreased to 15 percent in 2011.”

Among the many reasons for the suicides cited by the military are drug addiction, domestic disputes, financial problems, maltreatment, mental disorders and adaptation problems.