Malatya: Turkish Military Helicopter Crash Kills Four Soldiers

The Turkish Ministry of National Defense announced that four soldiers were killed after a Sikorsky S-70 helicopter belonging to the Turkish Armed Forces crashed last night in the Samanköy area of Yeşilyurt district in Malatya.

The Ministry of National Defense issued a statement saying: "We ask God's mercy for our martyrs, and we offer our heartfelt condolences to their grieving families, to the Turkish Armed Forces and to our noble people, in patience and seeking reward." Defense Minister Yaşar Güler also posted on his social media account a message titled: "We buried you in our hearts, not in the soil, and the homeland is grateful to you," in which he revealed the names of the four martyrs.

The martyrs are: Army Pilot Major Beri Erdem Çimen (41), Army Pilot Major Orhun Pınar (37), aircraft/helicopter technician First Sergeant Hüseyin Züheyr (34), and aircraft/helicopter technician Sergeant Serkan Önder (28).

A fire broke out at the crash site, and the flames spread to a neighboring house before fire crews brought them under control. The couple who were inside the house struck by helicopter debris experienced a state of severe panic. Fire, ambulance, police, gendarmerie and disaster and emergency (AFAD) teams had been dispatched to the area, while the remains of the martyrs were taken to the morgue after rescue teams finished their work at the site.

Malatya Governor Seddar Yavuz, accompanied by military officials, went to the Samanköy area of Yeşilyurt district to inspect the scene of the incident. The Public Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Malatya (Malatya Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı) announced the opening of an investigation into the incident, and a deputy chief prosecutor and two prosecutors were assigned to the case. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.